The Death Carnival
by FoxfaceChase16
Summary: Who knew that Snow's grandson, codenamed Hazard, was a brilliant but mad scientist sent away for exile years ago? With his twisted mind, Hazard recreated the Hunger Games, and made it even deadlier. He called it, 'The Death Carnival.'
1. Chapter 1

With Snow dead and the Hunger Games destroyed, all were full of hope for the future. Parties were thrown, celebrations made. No more living in fear and hunger.

But, in the midst of all the celebrations, something strange occurred. A mysterious thief came, and kidnapped 26 pure children, all 6 years old. Authorities were immediately notified, but no one managed to retrieve the kids, much to their parents' dismay. Soon, the event was forgotten entirely, and no one seemed to suspect anything.

What they didn't know was that the kidnapper was a brilliant but mad scientist. Snow's grandson, named Herald, sent away for exile years back for an unforgivable crime. He was actually sentenced to death, but since Snow couldn't bear to kill his own grandson, he sent him away for exile instead, with the hope that he will survive alone in the harsh surroundings of the Outside.

Not that anyone's been to the Outside before.

As Herald journeyed out, despairing, he came across people. They too, were exiled years ago like him. Instead of giving up, they strive on, finding food, building shelters, inventing technologies mankind hasn't seen yet. They were survivors.

They were very pleased when they found out that Herald was incredibly intelligent, and decided to make use of his abilities fully. It wasn't long before he proved himself worthy, and they acknowledged him as their leader. They named themselves Organization XII. The members consist of:

1. The leader and the brains, Herald a.k.a Hazard. The smartest and the strongest of the five.

2. The warrior, Zack a.k.a Zeus. He's all brawns and muscles.

3. The spy, Divya a.k.a Devious. Can slip away unnoticed by anyone anywhere.

4. The technician, Akane a.k.a Athena. She's a computer whiz.

5. The inventor, Daniel a.k.a Daedalus. The mad scientist, Hazard'spersonal assistant.

These five had the same purpose in mind. Revenge. Towards the Capitol. Towards the Districts. Towards all of Panem that had turned their backs on them. Genious and thirst for vengeance make a dangerous combination.

Together, they created 26 different serums that are able to enhance a person's abilities, i.e make them immune to heat, increase their agility, etc. The problem was that these serums could not be tested, so they were kept locked in a cabinet, where they stayed, gathering dust for years.

Until they heard that Snow had been overthrown, the Hunger Games no more. Hazard, with his twisted mind, came up with an idea. That they would kidnap 26 children and use the serums on them. The children will be stronger, faster, and incredibly dangerous. All the better to watch them tear each others' throat out isn't it?

Hazard was impatient to quench his thirst for bloodlust, and hear the despairing cries of their family as they watched their children mutated, now killing machines. He planned on assassinating the current leaders of Panem, especially Katniss Everdeen and her family. Then he would reign supreme over the whole country, bringing terror into the world again. Worse of all, he planned on recreating the Hunger Games, only this one's much deadlier.

The Death Carnival.


	2. Chapter 2

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The five took their time kidnapping the children, targeting one district at a time. 1 boy and 1 girl were taken from each district. Devious and Zeus also sneaked into Panem, gathering those who wanted to fight with them. In time, their army grew, until 13 months later when all the kids had been gathered.

These kids were locked in a cramped room, with no furniture, no decoration. Everything was pitch black. Meals were shoved into the room via a small hole on the locked door. Often, the kids would fight for the food, as there was never enough for all. The more scrawny and weaker ones would usually have to go to bed hungry, while the stronger, healthier ones (those from districts 1,2,4 a.k.a Careers) would be satisfied. This went on for 2 weeks, until the kids would be taken out, 2 by 2, to be injected with the serum.

_From District 1, _

_Girl – Levina Scarlett. A girl with coarse, brown hair, and almond-shaped, hazelnut eyes. She was one of those Careers, faring better than most. _

_Boy – Maver Crood. He has blonde hair which is always messy, and sharp, metallic blue eyes. He stays quiet most of the time, but is really chattery to those he's comfortable with. Also one of the Careers._

Hazard inspected them closely, then turned towards Daedalus and Athena who were beside him. "Athena, inject the girl with Serum 101. Make her immune to electricity, and train her to use the electric whip. Daedalus, blind the boy, then bandage the wounds up. Inject him with Serum 120 to enhance his sense of hearing and smell and increase his speed and agility. He'll be a Sightless Predator."

Athena and Daedalus did as they were told, and guttural screams emanated from the two children. Their body convulsed, as the cells decide whether to take in and connect with the Serum or dispose of it. After 2 hours of blinding pain, their bodies accepted the serum, and they were transformed. Successful results of the 'experiment'.

"Keep them in separate rooms. Bring me the kids from 2."

_From District 2:_

_Girl – Alicia Carstairs. She has a sadistic personality, and seems to enjoy inflicting pain on others. Trained by her father to throw knives. Career._

_Boy – Lance Maelstorm. The flirt. Loves to get on Alicia's nerves. Despite his playful personality, he's considered one of the more serious contenders as he's stronger than the rest._

Daedalus left, and Zeus took charge. He was a big, burly man with muscles the size of watermelons. No doubt, he was The Warrior.

"Give the girl the Eagle-Eye Serum. With that, she'll never miss. (Something like Hawkeye, but with knives) Make sure she trains her knife throwing skills every single day. Ask Daedalus to construct custom-made knives for her and let her use Field A for practice."

Alicia spat on Hazard, snarling at him.

Hazard wiped his face with the back of his hand. "Feisty. You'll regret spitting on me later on, young lady. Now for the boy. Serum 34 will be good. It'll strengthen his muscles and increase his endurance, though his speed will be slightly lower. He'll fare well in hand-to-hand combat. Zeus, you'll be in charge of his training."

From District 3:

_Girl – Amber Malik. An artist who is very intelligent. She can solve any kind of puzzle within seconds. _

_Boy – Blakers Foster. He has a calming effect on people, thus useful for stopping fights. He is also very smart and has good endurance._

Hazard held Amber's chin up using two of his fingers. "This one's a smart girl. Inject her with Serum 105. It'll make her… Well, let's say I'm comparing Zeus and her; Zeus' brain is a cockroach's compared to hers."

Zeus gave an indignant snort.

Hazard paused for awhile, pondering something. "I seem to recall Daedalus talking about a new weapon he created. The Teigu Henshin. It can change into four different forms. First, the scissor. Second, the sword. Third, the claw. And fourth the shield. The user must possess extraordinary intelligence to maneuver the Teigu. The Teigu chooses who it will respond to, and it will only respond to those with wits and intelligence. The mind and the weapon must connect. I believe there's chemistry between these two. Take her to Daedalus immediately."

"Blakers.. Calm and steady. You afraid of fire? Now you won't be. Zeus, Serum 117 for him. Immune to fire. This will suit him perfectly." Hazard took out a device that looked like a gun but with a bigger opening.

Blakers raised one of his eyebrows. "A gun? Why would I need to be immune to fire to use a_ gun?_"

Zeus laughed. "Not just any normal gun. Press the trigger, and BOOM! Fire comes out!"

Hazard clucked his tongue. "Hellfire, I would say. The heat is 50 times stronger than that of a normal fire's. Would kill anyone instantly. You need to be immune to fire and heat to handle this though. Some of the fire may go to your body parts. Be extra careful when you're around water. That's your disadvantage."

_2 hours later,_

_From District 4:_

_Girl – Azura Angelique. Girl with a brave soul. Defiance is in her blood. Career._

_Boy – Peter Dwight. The exact opposite of Azura. Timid and very sensitive. He's a worrywart and panics over the littlest things. Not counted as a career. _

"The girl is spiteful and courageous, I see. I think she'll be able to fight with two swords. One will be made up of ice-cold iron, while the other one's red-hot steel. My inventions," Hazard chuckled. "Inject her with Serum 35 so she won't get affected by the coldness or the heat of the sword."

"The boy's a problem. We can't have him dying too soon in the arena now can we? Inject him with Serum 67. It does some enhancements to his legs. He'll be able to run faster than the cheetah and his kicks will be able to send an elephant flying into the sky. I can't do anything about his, ah, unpleasant personality though. Zack, shape him up, train him along with Lance," here he smiled evilly, "and feel free to use violence."

_From District 5:_

_Girl- Liana Chase. Comes from a poor family, thus giving her no choice but to steal food. Has mastered her thievery skills. She prefers working alone than in a group._

_Boy – Neon Lightwood. Fierce and sadistic. Grew up in a harsh surrounding, neglected and unloved. That's why he too, is a lone wolf._

Hazard inspected both of them. "The girl has potential. Call Devious here."

Not long after, Devious walked in. She was gorgeous, and her body possessed a wiry frame like that of an athlete. Her auburn hair was pulled up in a ponytail, which shook from side to side as she walked. "You called me sir?"

"Yes, now what do you think of the girl?"

Devious glided towards Liana. "She's got the basic knowledge of thievery. Her lean limbs and muscles suggest that she's agile and can move on silent feet. Stand up girl."

Liana hesitated, then stood up. Devious cocked her head, "Dodge." A split second after that, Devious threw a punch at her, which she barely dodged.

"She's got quick reflexes… But not quick enough!" with that, Devious crouched and swept both of Liana's legs off with one leg. Liana fell down with a yelp.

"Don't worry Dev, I have plans for her. Serum 89. It's called mutation. I'm thinking fox will do. Because 'no one can catch the motherf****ng fox' ."

"Part human, part fox? Isn't that dangerous? Only 1 out of 5 survives mutation processes."

Hazard turned towards the now horrified Liana, "Pray then girl, that you will be the lucky 1. Devious, if she survives this, you're her mentor."

"The boy's like us, a survivor. Let's give him something _fun_ shall we? Serum 71! Only strengthens the knuckles and arm muscles so that one punch and BAM! Your opponents dead!"

Neon actually looked quite pleased. "That sounds _wickedly awesome_."

Hazard grinned, "Finally! Someone who appreciates my inventions! Wait till you're injected though, the pain is _awesomely wicked!"_

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**That's all for this chapter! **

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	3. Chapter 3

**Injections part 2!**

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_The 2__nd__ day,_

_From District 6:_

_Girl – Tamora Pierce. Incredibly loud and hyperactive. Loves to sing or hum to herself, much to the annoyance of the other kids._

_Boy – Meteor Cavalier. Shows great resemblance to Maver, though they are not related by blood. Counted as a Career for his skills of handling a knife. _

"URGH! ZEUS! SHUT THE GIRL UP!"

Zeus gladly did by gagging her up. "Well that's a relief," Hazard sighed. "Since she's so loud, inject her with the Sonance Serum. She'll be able to distract her opponents with her _annoying _screeching, thus giving her an opening to kill them. Well, that's that. Take her away once you've injected her."

"Hey! This boy looks just like our Sightless Predator! Now, what should we do with him?"

Hazard pondered for a while before his face lit up, "Ah! That acid serum! What was it again? Right, Serum 178. Immune to acid. Gives you the ability to use this blade, deary." Hazard took out a box and opened it. Inside was a glowing green dagger. "Dipped in the blood of the Hydra, corrodes anything that touches it. It'll be yours soon, boy, along with several other blades."

_From District 7:_

_Girl – Johanna Brahms. A happy-go-lucky girl much liked by everyone. Loves to listen to music, but doesn't like to sing along. _

_Boy – Ace Cahill. Leave him alone, and he'll leave you alone. Might not look like much, but he has certain tricks up his sleeves. _

"Girl, can you throw axes around?"

Johanna timidly answered, "Well, I guess I could. But my axe wouldn't lodge into the tree trunk."

"Well then, this serum is simply perfect for you! Serum Axe-Controller. If the name isn't obvious enough, it makes you be able to, how do we say this, _connect,_ with the axe. Of course, the axe is no ordinary axe. It's got a device implanted in it which responds to the serum and… you know what, you won't be able to understand anyway. So let's say there's this huge 100 year old tree with a huge trunk. You just throw your axe, and command it to chop the tree down with one fell swoop. You'll be surprised that the tree would come toppling down."

"Of course, you're going to need some practice. There's an artificial forest we build not far from here. You can start from there."

"What do you think of reading minds, boy? And I don't mean simply reading body language and all that. I mean the real deal. Ability to know your opponents' next move. If you know their moves, it would be a cinch for you to dodge them, find an opening, and kill them."

"Well, it's pretty sweet I guess.." Ace mumbled, unsure.

"You would know their weaknesses, their vulnerabilities. Serum 50 lets you do all this, and you may thank your lucky stars I'm giving it to you. Since you've got the basic knowledge of using a knife, you'll be quite a contender, yes you will…"

_From District 8:_

_Girl – Savannah White. A fair-skinned girl that comes from a Chinese background. Has a 'little' crush on Drake (introduced later on)._

_Boy - Felix Vader. Tallest one amongst the 26. Is hesitant, and his movements are awkward and stiff, the exact opposite of how Devious maneuvers her way. _

"What would you rather pick, a crossbow or a traditional bow and arrow?" Hazard questioned Savannah.

"Well, I think I would go for the bow and arrow."

"Do you think you'll be able to use this baby then?" Hazard held up a magnificent crimson-coloured bow with black swirling patterns decorating its surface. He handed it to Savannah, who lifted it up to admire the exquisite balance, the elegant design and the curve of the limbs that somehow suggests the wings of a bird extended in flight. The arrows were no less remarkable. There was a variety of them –razor sharp, incendiary, explosive- which turns the bow into a multipurpose weapon. Each one is recognizable by a distinctive coloured shaft.

"It's.. it's beautiful," Savannah whispered.

"It's alive. And it has decided that it likes you."

Savannah could only smile.

"You need quick reflexes for this. You won't have time to think of what type of arrow to choose in the arena. You need to know exactly how to position yourself to apply the maximum potential of each arrow in a split second. Dealing with the different types of arrows are also confusing, for example, the explosive one detonates 5 seconds after you fire, so speed is essential. Not to mention that for the bow to work and ensure maximum accuracy (it is 'alive' after all) , I'd need to connect it to your brain so that it can feed energy off you. So that is why, Serum 12 will do you good. It strengthens your brain cells, quickening your reflexes. It also increases your endurance and energy level, so you won't tire out easily because of the bow."

Savannah scrunched up her eyebrows. "But why would I need the bow anyway?"

Hazard grinned like a madman, "_Why, to kill the other kids of course dear girl!"_

After Savannah was escorted back to the room, Felix was brought in.

Hazard seemed distressed. "What should I do with this boy?!"

Athena, a blonde woman with stormy, grey eyes residing behind her thick glasses, tapped her chin. "Maybe you could try Serum 99. A slight alteration of his DNA, so that his eyes work all funny."

"Brilliant Athena! I do not appreciate the comment about his eyes working _funny _though. Don't listen to her boy. You'll be able to do all sorts of amazing things! For example, night vision and shooting lasers out of the eyes. Nothing will escape you too. No one, not even those best at hiding, or those best at camouflaging, will be able to escape you once he/she passes your field of vision."

Felix's mouth gaped open. A minute later, he asked, incredulous, "I get laser-eyes?!"

_From District 9:_

_Girl – Vanellope Castellan. A stone-hearted girl who lives in a ' I, me and myself' world. She's happy as long as she gets what she wants, not caring that she might be hurting others in the process._

_Boy – Eric Valdez. There's only one thing he loves best. Food. You should see him roar (literally) when someone takes his shares away. That's why he's faring quite good, though he isn't part of the careers._

"I believe in the power of words. Do you, little miss?"

Vanellope stayed silent, staring daggers at Hazard. If looks could kill…

"Imagine that every time you open your mouth, words as sharp as knives would come out. They would target an individual's insecurities, letting their deepest, darkest secrets out of the bag. You have the ability to distress them, crush away their sanity, within a few sentences. Once they're broken, you simply take out your knife, and show them mercy, by slitting their throats, freeing them of their misery."

Vanellope remained indifferent. "You mean kill them right?"

"No, girl. Call it the freeing of their souls. Now, give me your arm, so I can inject you with Serum 35…"

"ZEUS! WHY THE HELL IS HE MUNCHING ON… WHATEVER THAT IS HE'S MUNCHING ON?! THERE'S A STRICT NO-FOOD POLICY HERE!"

Zeus answered sheepishly, "He roared at me when I tried taking his food away."

Hazard took a deep breath, calming himself. In an eerily calm voice, he answered, "Would you rather him roaring at you, or me _raining down my_ _wrath at you_?"

Zeus gulped and snatched Eric's food away. He was awarded with a roar from the greedy boy. Zeus rolled his eyes and punched him to shut him up. Eric yowled loudly.

"That punch hurt didn't it? What if I tell you I can make you not feel any pain? A spear might be piercing your stomach right now and you'll still be up and about, eating, not feeling a single prick, until of course you drop dead due to loss of blood."

Without hesitation, Eric said suavely, "Bleh. That's impossible."

"NO! that's where you're wrong my dear obese friend. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. Especially not when I'm around. Serum 199 boy! It'll make you immune to pain. Whether it's emotional pain, physical pain, or whatever. You won't be affected."

"Hey, that's pretty awesome!"

"Here's the catch though. You don't know when you're gonna die. You might be bleeding to death, or bitten by something poisonous and should be feeling lightheaded, but no, you feel nothing. That means you can just drop dead at any given time. You're also not invincible young man, you can be killed if someone beheads you. So don't go thinking you're Superman."

Eric was silent for a while. Then, he looked up, stretched, and said matter-of-factly, "Well, at least I've got Superman's looks."

_From District 10:_

_Girl – Cyan Wilder. Has a peculiar hobby of throwing cards and picking locks. Also has a thing for scythes._

_Boy - Asdf Qwerty. The nameless boy who always keeps to himself. No one know anything about him, except that he came from District 10._

"Do you know who the Grim Reaper is, girl?"

"The guy that collects people's souls… I think."

"Would you like to be one?"

Cyan's eyes brightened at this. "Well, I also heard that he uses a scythe, so, why not?"

"Perfect! You have been chosen to wield this magnificent death scythe deary!"

It was indeed magnificent. Raven-black and gleaming, polished so perfectly. Cyan could barely tear her eyes away from it. "There's a special serum that matches your scythe too! Serum 23, otherwise known as Master of the Weapons. With this, you'll be able to communicate to your scythe, and it to you. Your scythe might also react on it's own, to let's say, protect you from incoming weapons behind you. "

"You can also control other weapons, but only those made out of metal. When someone is trying to skewer you with a sword, you can command it to stop or command it to reduce itself to millions of tiny fragments. But of course, a strong mind is needed for you to control weapons that are not rightfully yours. You only have complete control of your scythe. With the kind of power you have now, you are only capable of controlling the operations of your scythe and one foreign weapon. You would instantly be at a disadvantage if you're faced with multiple foreign weapons such as throwing knives. So I advise you to train girl, and be smart."

"Seriously, your name is Asdf?! Who the hell named you?! But whatever. Hmmm… Asdf Qwerty.. that would be Serum 31 for you! Ditch your jacket, your heater, your fire. You won't need them anymore. You will be immune to cold. I've got a special weapon for you too. The frost blaster. Shoots enough frost and ice to freeze a mammoth per use. Kills them instantly. Pretty awesome, eh?"

Asdf resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

_From District 11: _

_Girl - Rhea Thorne. Fair and just, always defends the right and condemns the wrong._

_Boy – Drake Oblivion. Easy-going and friendly. Also has a 'little' crush on Savannah. _

"Well hello you lucky girl! Do you know what kind of serum you're getting?! No of course not, I haven't told you yet. The Charmer Serum! Ability to perform charmspeak. Very useful I tell you. You can tell them to do anything, like 'stab yourself with your sword' or 'go jump off the cliff'. Of course, you'll be too powerful if that happens. So later on, in the arena, five will be getting ear plugs. Protect themselves from you. There are also a few people who you can't control. The mutant and the laser-eyed boy. Remember to always concentrate when charmspeaking. Once your concentration wavers, the effect will vanish. Watch out for those immune to you too!"

"For the boy, I will give him the gift of silence. Serum 75. You won't make a single noise at all, not when you move. Those with enhanced hearing won't hear the sound of your breath and the beat of your heart (yes, that's how sensitive their ears are). It would be as if you don't exist at all. Of course, you won't be able to speak any more, but that's nothing isn't it?"

Drake didn't think it was nothing though. "No more talking?! But…"

He was thinking of how he won't be able to talk to Savannah again.

"Lose your voice, or lose your life. That's your only choice. Now take it or leave it."

Drake sighed. There was nothing he could do. "Fine, I'll take it."

From District 12:

_Girl – Fawn Albarn. A plain-looking girl that's small for her age. Was stolen along with her best friend Rey Evans. _

_Boy – Rey Evans. Loves to draw and paint. A nature person/tree-hugger. Cares a lot for his best friend Fawn._

"You're really small aren't you, little Fawn? That's really bad, since all your opponents are much bigger and stronger that you are. Tell you what, I'm gonna give you Serum 57. It gives you the ability to change your size at will. You can grow to any size you want, big as an elephant, or tiny like an ant. Be warned though, there's a time limit. I'm also gonna be extra kind to you and let you pick your own weapon. So what'll it be?"

Fawn mumbled, "Ermm.. ermm.. do you perharps have a katana?"

"Do I now? Of course I do! State-of-the-art deary! You do have to practice though, the katana won't be much help if you don't know how to use it. "

"I heard you love painting Rey. For that, I'll inject you with Serum 107. It works together with a special brush that is currently still being manufactured by Daedalus. This brush doesn't need paint to work. It just needs your imagination… and your body. Once you'll have the serum inside your body, your ability to camouflage will be greatly enhanced. You will blend into your surroundings so perfectly that, it's as if you're invisible. All you've got to do is imagine, and trace the brush on your skin. The serum and the brush will then work their magic."

_From District 13: _

_Girl – Nessie Swan. A dark-haired girl whose thousand-year-old eyes captivate others._

_Boy – Silver Aero. Shows certain fascination to Alicia Carstairs , either as a crush, or as a prey. Frequently bullied by Cyan Wilder._

"Athena, inject the girl with Imaginary Constructs Serum."

Curious, Nessie asked, "What does it do to me?"

"You are able to project your thoughts, and make them seem real. Of course, it's just a very realistic projection. A sword will pass through it, because it's not made up of matter. Just a projection for your thoughts. It's still useful, however, when you need a distraction. Your creations might be the only thing that'll give you enough time to escape."

Nessie thought out loud, "That's actually pretty neat."

"Yes it is. But you can't be distracted or your creation will vanish."

"For the boy, it will be the Survivor Serum. You, boy, will be able to survive without water for weeks, and you'll be able to eat anything. Tree bark, leaves, poisonous berries. They all won't make you sick. You can last without water for two weeks, but your energy will significantly decrease faster if you don't drink for more than 5 days. You won't die from eating poisonous things, but you will always feel hungry if you keep on eating food not meant for humans. And you can't fight with an empty stomach, so I advise you to eat 'healthy' food more than the 'junk'."

The two kids were injected and two hours later, their bodies connected with the serums.

Hazard threw up his hands in the air, laughing maniacally. "Finally! My tributes are completed! 26 killing machines, all ready to tear each others throats out."

Devious came in then, and reported, "Sir, we currently have 25,000 men that are willing to take our side. Will that suffice our needs?"

"No! We need more! At least 10,000 more! We'll be keeping the kids for another 6 years, for them to train. Use this time to collect more men, I don't care using what technique. Once the children reach the age of 13, we will officially start the Death Carnival, and start our reign of terror!"

Devious bowed respectfully. "Understood sir."


	4. Chapter 4

6 years passed quickly. The kids spent every single day training hard. They were kept in separate rooms, and contact with each other was strictly forbidden. Severe punishments were given to those who break rules.

5 days before the official start of the Death Carnival, they were taken out of their separate rooms and gathered together in a spacious one. It was the first time in 6 years that they had seen each other. Everyone looked different than the scrawny, terrified kids they were last time. If it was possible, the Careers looked even stronger and bulkier. Their very presence is intimidating.

No one made a sound, save Tamora who's humming loudly to herself. Eye contacts were occasionally made, though lasting only for mere seconds. Drake couldn't stop sneaking looks at Savannah. He longed to call her over and simply chat. But no, he can't speak anymore, hasn't spoken for 6 years. The price for the 'gift' of silence.

"_More like a curse," _Drake thought sullenly.

"Welcome, the tributes of the Death Carnival!" Hazard's voice boomed out suddenly. 26 children turned their heads towards the direction of the voice. There, on the doorway, stood the five members of Org XII, Hazard right in the middle.

"Now I'm sure all of you are aware that 5 days from now, you will be taken to our special arena where you will fight for your very survival. The Death Carnival will last until only one remains standing. The question is, will that be you? Nobody knows."

Devious spoke up, "But you have got to prepare. The reason why we gathered you all together here instead of letting you train is so that you can formulate your plan, ask us anything you're unsure of, treat your injuries, and of course, to beautify you. You want to look good for the cameras! This is also the time for you to form alliances. Now I'm not forcing you to form one. If you prefer working alone, then that's fine."

A grey-haired man in a lab coat, Daedalus, chuckled, "I want those from Districts 1-7 to come with me and Athena to the lab, so we can 'beautify' you, gihihi. The rest will wait out here first, gihihi."

Who knew the beautifying process was even worse than injections of the Serums? A few hours later, everyone looked squeaky clean, and well, beautified.

"Now is the time for you to form all your alliances!" Athena called out.

The Careers, save Glimmer, immediately gathered together and formed the temporary alliance. Alicia grabbed Maver, Meteor and Lance, then whispered, "Can we let Silver into the team please? Pretty please, with sugar on top?"

Meteor didn't look too happy about that. "He's not a Career. And anyway, you've got no time to be falling in love in the arena."

"I am not in love with him!"

Lance scoffed, "Oh really now? So you don't want him in the team anymore right?"

Maver stood silent all this while, crossing his arms. Alicia suspected that if he still had his eyes, he would be rolling them.

"Ugh! You guys are impossible!" Alicia threw up her hands in the air, exasperated.

This time, Maver spoke up, though his voice was barely a whisper, "Of course, you can leave us and join him. It's your choice."

Alicia seemed to have lost her voice, as she watched the three boys calmly walk away. "Boys. Impossible to understand. Fine! Wait up you guys! I'm joining you!"

Secretly she thought of a plan on how she'd join Silver later on.

A plan that Ace could see, just like all the other plans being formulated in the room, thanks to his mind-reading abilities. His ability has improved so that he could see and hear anyone's thoughts within a five-mile radius, ten miles if he strained harder. He stood quietly at the side, watching, learning. Quite a useful power…

He also know Rhea's, the Charmer, plan. "_Since I won't be able charm the mutant, I should form an alliance with her. That way, I can avoid getting killed by her for a while,"_ Rhea thought. She approached Liana, and took note of her strange outfit. They were indoors, but she was wearing a hat, and rain-boots. She was also wearing an overcoat and thick, wooly gloves, though it was sweltering in the room. She was sitting alone, sipping something from her cup. Liana appeared shocked when Rhea sat in front of her.

"I propose an alliance."

"I don't accept, I'd rather operate alone."

Rhea complained, which was hard to do when you're whispering, "But why? Isn't it better for you to have someone watching your back?"

Liana stared at her, "Not if they're gonna stab my back with a knife later on. Besides, why would you want to partner up with me? I'm a mutant, a freak. I'm sure you'd scream if you see what I look like without the coats and the hat."

Rhea laughed, "You can't be that scary."

Without a word, Liana took off the coat, the hat, the boots and the gloves. Rhea bit her lip to keep from screaming. Okay, the furry ears on top of her head and the silky tail were quite cute. But where her hands should be, were claws, capable of tearing open someone's throat. She wasn't wearing any shoes now, and instead of feet, she had paws, not very furry but rather scaly, with extra sharp, two-inch nails.

Rhea gulped and laughed nervously, "See, I told you you weren't that scary."

Liana raised one of her eyebrows. "Not even after you see this?" She grinned then, revealing extra pointy canine teeth. Her eyes started to glow too, an eerie yellow.

"_Guess she doesn't need her claws to tear open someone's throat," _Rhea thought, feeling a little sick.

"Okay, okay, you're scary. But I still propose that alliance. Quit your eye-glowing thing will you? And close your mouth."

Liana giggled, "You're quite brave. Yeah, okay, I'll be your temporary ally. But what's your special ability anyway?"

Rhea smiled, extending her hand, "I'm Rhea, the Charmer."

Ace saw the two girls shook hands, and took note. The Fox and The Charmer. He then turned to where Glimmer and Azura was, also shaking hands on the alliance. The Electric Girl and The Brave.

Savannah had formed an alliance with Fawn and her best friend Rey. She had also gathered her nerves and stalked up to Drake.

"I'm proposing an alliance, will you join us?" she cried out, her voice coming out louder than she wanted. Heads were turned towards her direction, making her blush. "So? What's your answer?"

Drake grinned and nodded. He followed her towards the group.

"_She asked me! Me! I can't believe my luck! Oh yeah! I am so AWESOME!" _Drake thought excitedly. Ace almost laughed out loud reading his mind. So, The Size Manipulator, The Camouflaged, The Silent One and The Bow and Arrows Wielder (The Two Best Friends and The Two Lovebirds) are together.

The Eagle-Eyed, The Acid Wielder, The Silent Predator and The Strong. The hunter pack has been formed too.

The day ended quickly, with strategies planned out and alliances formed. Ace was quite pleased to have gathered tons of useful information. He figured working alone would be better, so he wouldn't have to deal with the guilt of killing his own 'ally' later on.

* * *

_4 days later, in the Control Room,_

"Athena, are the systems up and working?"

She nodded, "The whole of Panem will be watching the game."

Hazard sighed, relieved. "All right then, how soon can we start?"

"5 minutes sir. You can load the tributes into the hovercrafts now."

Hazard barked out, "Zeus! Devious! Daedalus! You heard her! Load them up!"

The three saluted, crying out 'Yes, sir!' in unison.

Athena's hands tapped furiously on the keyboard. 5 minutes later, she leaned back on her chair, clearly exhausted. "All right sir, we're connected. You can start talking."

Hazard joined his two hands, intertwining the fingers. "Long have I waited for this."

* * *

_In one of the houses of Victor's Village, District 12,_

"Sam! Clary! Breakfast's ready!" Katniss cried out.

Peeta came out of the bedroom, still disheveled and sleepy-eyed. "What are we eating?"

Katniss shrugged, laughing, "I honestly don't know. I fried the thing that looks like chicken and cooked soup. Actually, I just heated water and threw in stuff into it. Taste quite okay though."

Peeta grinned and kissed his wife. "I'm sure it would be _delicious_."

Katniss looked at him skeptically, "Is that sarcasm?"

Before Peeta could answer, the phone rang. "I'll get it," Peeta called out.

From the tone of his voice, Katniss could hear that the matter being discussed was of utmost importance. When he finally hung up, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Turn the TV on."

A man, probably in his mid-thirties, came into view. Holding a white rose in his hand, he looked just like a younger version of the late Snow. Katniss gasped out loud, as memories of the war resurfaced.

The man smiled and started talking, his voice upbeat. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Good day to you all. My name is Herald, but I go with the name Hazard. I am President Snow's grandson, sent away for exile years back. I hate him, and would do anything to take revenge. But since he's dead, I decided I'd take it out on you all, Panem. In 5 minutes, you will be watching a deadly game live, played by 26 tributes that I kidnapped 7 years ago. These children are special. Using the serums that I invented, I gave them certain abilities. They're not simply children anymore. They're now killing machines, and they are mine. Do you still remember the Hunger Games? This new game is just like it, but even deadlier. The fight for one's survival."

Hazard looked at his watch, "Oh look! 5 minutes is up! So now ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you, to the first ever Death Carnival!"

The view changed into what must have been the arena. It showed a dense forest, with a wide, circular lake in the middle of it all. No Cornucopia can be seen. There were 26 stationary hovercrafts in midair.

Hazard's voice boomed out, "Tributes! When the gong sounds, jump out from the hovercrafts! Do this within 5 seconds, for the hovercrafts are programmed to self-destruct after 5 seconds. If you don't jump, the hovercrafts will blow up, with you in it. So get ready!"

50 seconds, 30 seconds, 10 seconds. The gong sounded, and instantly, two or three figures jumped out, landing perfectly on the trees.

Hazard cackled, "Let the first Death Carnival begin!"

* * *

**How was it guys? Please leave a review! Constructive criticism are much appreciated! **

As you all know, the tributes here are based on my classmates. They love making fanfics too. Check them out in these fanfic accounts:

Ace Cahill, D7 boy : AceCahill

Cyan Wilder, D10 girl : ThatRandomTribute25

Alicia Carstairs, D2 girl : Clovecarstairs02

Meteor Cavalier, D6 boy : Meteor Cavalier

Drake Oblivion, D11 boy : Drake the Dragon

Asdf Qwerty, D10 boy : Master2909


	5. Chapter 5

**Let the Games begin!**

* * *

When the gong sounded, not 2, nor 3, but 5 tributes jumped out without hesitation. Alicia, Maver, Meteor, Azura and Liana. The girls aimed for the trees, while the boys landed directly on the ground, without breaking a sweat. The 5 then stayed out of view from the others, awaiting further instructions.

The next second, 8 others gathered enough courage to jump down. Rhea, Levina, Amber, Blakers, Ace, Lance, Neon, and Nessie. Except for a few cuts and bruises, all of them landed safely and they too, hid like the others.

With 2 seconds left to go, another 8 jumped down. Rey, Fawn, Drake, Savannah, Cyan, Asdf, Silver and Eric. Fawn and Savannah decided to stay up in the trees, as they watched the others that were still up in their hovercrafts. They've got 1 more second left.

4 jumped down. They were Vanellope, Johanna, Felix and Tamora. Tamora couldn't help but scream as she fell. She missed the tree she was aiming for and landed on the ground painfully. Pain shot up her left leg, and she had a horrible suspicion that it was broken.

Time's up, but Peter was still up there. He was panic-stricken, legs rooted to the ground. The 26 hovercrafts gave a series of loud beeps, and then exploded, one of them with Peter inside.

BOOM! Peter Dwight, District 4 boy, eliminated.

"Congratulations to the 25 of you who survived! " Hazard announced gleefully. "Now in this arena, there are a total of 26 hideouts. Each hideout contains weapons, supplies, medicines, whatever you need. Your job is, of course, to find at least one of these hideouts. Problem is, these hideouts, if it isn't obvious enough, are hidden. Each tribute can find more than hideouts, heck, you can find as much as you want! Here's the catch, once you set foot inside the hideout, you've got 10 seconds before a hole will appear underneath and swallow it up. So it's kind of impossible to get weapons _and_ supplies at the same time. I suggest you to find more than 1 hideout. If you don't find any, you can always kill another tribute and take their weapons and supplies. Now then, off you go!"

It's turned into a race now, and everyone knew it. Liana wanted to search for Rhea, but thought better of it. She can always find her later, assuming she survived. She sniffed the air. The scent of weapons and machineries… South-West, 10 miles from where she was standing. All right then, time to get a move on before someone claims the hideout first.

* * *

The Career pack, having landed quite close to each other, decided to move forward together.

"How many hideouts do you want to find?" Alicia asked, playing with her fingernails.

"All of them," Lance cracked his knuckles.

"Yeah, and I suppose you'll be carrying all of the supplies," Meteor rolled his eyes.

"We take enough supplies and weapons. 8 hideouts or if possible, lesser than that. We don't want to waste time finding hideouts," Maver suggested.

"We can use that time to kill tributes. Let's get a move on then, we're wasting time," Alicia remarked. It was creepy how she can talk of killing others so calmly.

"I smell one. Follow me." Marvel ran ahead, the others right behind him.

* * *

Tamora decided that yes, her left leg was broken. She couldn't move, couldn't shout for help either. It was foolish of her not to form an alliance before. Now she sat on the ground, trying to inch herself forward. She heard a rustle and suddenly, from the bushes, Levina came out.

Levina was quite surprised and thrilled to have found someone. She saw Tamora's leg which was positioned at an odd angle and in an instant, knew that it was broken. The perfect victim.

"Broken leg, eh? Must have hurt." She walked towards Tamora slowly.

"No, no, please no! Please don't kill me!" Tamora pleaded.

"It's not gonna hurt." In a flash, Levina grabbed hold of Tamora's head and snapped her neck. She didn't even have time to scream.

"There, it didn't hurt, did it?" Levina flicked her hair to the side.

BOOM! Tamora Pierce, District 6 girl, eliminated.

"Wasted too much time. Need to get supplies and weapons now," Levina muttered to herself.

* * *

Cyan couldn't wait to get a hold of her death scythe. She had grown attached to it. But first, the hideout. She had been searching for a little over an hour, but didn't have much luck. Exhausted, she sat on a huge rock, taking a little breather. She took note of her surroundings and caught sight of something unusual. The rocks in front of her formed some kind of cave, well hidden by tons of vines that were growing all over the place. Cyan approached the cave tentatively, brushing away the vines and entered. Immediately, the interior of the cave lit up and the monotonous voice of a female was heard.

"Welcome, Cyan Wilder. Your weapons and supplies await you."

There was a huge slot at the backmost wall of the cave, which opened and started vomiting out all kinds of weapons. Another slot to her left opened up and supplies came out.

"You have 10 seconds. 9, 8…"

Cyan rushed towards the weapon area, not liking the idea of being swallowed up by the ground. Death scythe, death scythe. Where was it?! There! She grabbed it and immediately rushed for the entrance.

"3, 2, 1. Time's up! Chomp time!"

Cyan jumped out with her scythe, just as the hole appeared and swallowed up the hideout. Wiping her sweat, she marveled at her new possession.

"Activate Death Scythe."

The scythe made a buzzing noise before it responded to her, sending it's message directly to hermind, "_Activated. Thanks for saving me Master. I'd hate to be swallowed up by the ground."_

Cyan chuckled. "Do you have any idea where a second hideout can be found? "

"_No, but we can search._"

* * *

Meanwhile, Fawn and Savannah were desperately trying to search for Rey and Drake.

"I think we should just search for the hideouts first. It'll be better if we had weapons to defend ourselves. Moreover, we need those supplies," Fawn huffed.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm worried about them though, they might be injured," Savannah said anxiously.

"They're boys Sav! I'm sure they can take care of themselves. Let's worry about ourselves first," Fawn replied, quite exasperated.

Savannah didn't reply. Instead, she pointed towards something that looks like a cave, which was concealed by tons of greeneries.

They looked at each other and nodded. "You go grab the supplies. I'll go grab the katana and my bows." Savannah ordered.

"Aye, ma'am."

* * *

Liana was lucky. She had decided to go for the supplies as she had her claws and teeth as a weapon already. Just as she had gathered enough supplies, two hunting daggers came clattering down from the ever-growing mountain of weapons. Guess it wasn't impossible to get weapons and supplies at same hideout after all. Now it's time to find Rhea.

* * *

At the count of five, Felix started making a run for it. At 3, he tripped and fell. Just as he got up to run towards the entrance, the hole appeared. He was just an inch away from the entrance. Felix desperately tried to claw his way out. But it was no use.

"I am one hell of a klutz."

BOOM! Felix Vader, District 8 boy, eliminated.

The Career pack had found 6 hideouts so far, and decided they had enough. It's tribute hunting time.

"_I wonder where Silver is," _Alicia thought forlornly.

"You know, you shouldn't daydream Alicia. You'll get killed easily," Lance teased.

"Shut up or the next thing I cut will be your mouth," Alicia threatened, waving one of her throwing knives in the air. Lance immediately shut his mouth. Threats coming from Alicia weren't something to be taken lightly of.

Silver was desperately searching for Alicia, though he knew he might get killed by the rest of the Careers if he did. Forget about supplies and weapons. Forget the inevitable fact that there can only be one winner. They were doomed from the start anyway. No matter. If he had to die, then he'll die protecting her.

* * *

**Thanks for all the reviews so far guys! **

**Special thanks to my friend, the girl whom Levina Scarlett (D1 Girl) is based on, for helping me out! **

**Review, Fav and Follow! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey all! New chapter! Yay! I would really appreciate it if you give a review (fav and follow while you're at it). **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games in any form, size or shape.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Katniss P.O.V_

I waited impatiently for Paylor to arrive, and when she did, I was ready to punch the wall to relieve my restlessness.

Paylor wasn't the strong, courageous young commander that I used to know. Her face was shrunken and hollow, eyes black from the sleepless nights. She would wince occasionally and touch her temples. This is the Paylor after years of holding the responsibility of the whole of Panem on her shoulders. The President.

"What the hell is going on?!" I questioned her.

She shot me a look. "We'll discuss this further when the other victors come."

"So it's true then? The Death Carnival is real?" Peeta asked, his voice wavering.

"Oh, Mr Mellark. 3 children are dead already. Do you still think this is some kind of sick joke? I believe not." Paylor sat down on her chair and rubbed her temples once more.

At that moment, the door flew open, and in came the rest of the victors.

_Third Person P.O.V, The Games_

"Why on earth can't I find a single hideout?!" Rhea muttered to herself. She staggered along, and unexpectedly tripped on a rock. Cursing , she stood up and dust herself up. As she was doing that, her eyes caught flicker of a cave. Well, something that looks like a cave anyway, which was entangled in vines. She approached it, and once she steps inside, the interior lights up.

* * *

With her two swords in hand, Azura felt invincible. Long and hard had she practiced her skills, under the guidance of Zeus and Devious. Now, the swords felt like they were extensions of her arms, and she could move them anyway she likes. One of them gives off hellfire, while the other gives off cold blasts.

Azura decided to keep a look out for enemies, which she did by climbing up a tree. Like an eagle, she caught sight of a flicker or movement, a prey. No, make that 2 preys. Two figures are in a stand-still. They weren't moving, but their stiff bodies and lack of movement suggest extreme concentration. Curious, Azura climbed down and approached the two.

* * *

Rhea always knew she had rotten luck, but she didn't know it was _this _rotten. She had successfully gathered together a bag full of supplies and escaped the pit. The happy moment was short-lived, however. Just as she had stumbled out, she saw Vanellope waiting for her in the entrance. Immediately, Vanellope opened her mouth and let a stream of words come out. Rhea could feel the effect of the words acting on her instantly.

Rhea in turn used her charmspeak, and the effect was lessened. She no longer felt as if her head was being poked with needles, or the need to curl up in a ball and cry in a corner. "Stop talking. Stop talking. Stop talking. Stop talking and use your knife to kill yourself. Stop talking." Vanellope stuttered and her fingers clutch at the knife strapped in her belt, but didn't stop talking. Instead she quickened her pace and started to overpower Rhea.

When her knees were starting to give way beneath her, another figure came out, with two swords in hand. She slashed Van's back, her two swords criss-crossing each other and then jam the red one straight into her heart.

BOOM! Vanellope Castellan, D9 girl, eliminated.

The girl landed on her two feet, swift and graceful like a panther. Rhea was grateful, yet terrified that she'll be next. She used her charmspeak, but didn't order her to do any death-related things.

"Go away. Go away. Go away. Don't kill me. Go away."

Azura crossed her arms and smirked. "Uh, yeah.. That charmspeak of yours? It won't work on me. I've got ear plugs which blocks any harmful noises. So I can hear you when you speak normally, but not when you're charmspeaking. You sound like you're underwater, so stop it already."

Rhea was given quite the shock. _Is she gonna kill me?!_

"You know, I like your ability." Azura pursed her lips. "Quite useful. What about it? Wanna become my ally for the moment? I need to search for my other ally, but I haven't seen her around. Of course, if you decline, I'm going to have to kill you, so think carefully."

As she had no choice, Rhea accepted. "Actually, I'm searching for my other ally too. Liana Chase, the mutant."

* * *

"_SHIT!_"

That was the one word repeating itself over and over again in Neon's head as he scrambled away from the fast-approaching Amber. In her hands was her Teigu Henshin, in the shape of the sword.

"You running away from a girl?! " Amber taunted. "Coward! You don't deserve to be called a man!"

If it's one thing that Neon can't stand, it's someone calling him a coward. He stopped in his tracks and faced Amber.

"You're gonna regret calling me that!"

Neon, being a reckless person, rushed in immediately, letting his guard down. He swung his right arm, getting ready to punch the life out of Amber.

Amber saw it coming and used her weapon as a shield.

"Shield Form!"

The golden sword in her hand glowed red-hot and then transformed into a wide gold shield that was hard as diamond yet light as a feather. The sound of Neon's fist colliding with the metal was ear-splitting. Making sure that her shield was alright, Amber was quite shocked to find out that there was a dent on the surface.

"_So his punches are his strong points. I gotta get rid of that first!"_

It was Amber's time to attack. She changed the shield into claws that encased her hands. She rushed in and slashed maniacally at Neon, who barely had time to dodge the attacks. Quick as lightning, Amber lunged, aiming at his chest. One strike, just one strike, and it will be the end for Neon. He did the one thing he could; protect his chest with his arms.

The claws gave quite the damage to them. Red fluid was flowing out of the deep cuts on his hands. He staggered to a stop and assessed the damage, screaming in pain. Amber took this opportunity to change the claws into a massive golden scissors and chopped his hands off.

The bone-chilling screams that emanated from him were horrible. Full of anguish and pain, shredding the hearts of many.

"The pain! Make it stop! It hurts! Stop it!" Neon wriggled on the ground, sobbing. What used to be his hands are now bloody stumps. It was a horrifying scene.

"Sorry bud. I'll ease you of your suffering, kay?" Amber remarked, feeling a little guilty.

"But I don't want to die!" He looked up at her, eyes wide with terror.

"No choice bud." With that, she changed her Teigu into a sword and stabbed it directly into Neon's heart. His screams stopped, and the sound of a cannon was heard.

BOOM! Neon Lightwood, D5 boy, eliminated.

Amber clucked her tongue in an annoyed manner. "My hands are covered in blood. What a bore."

* * *

"No other hideouts so far. And I'm getting thirsty."

"_Bear with it Master. We'll find one soon enough,"_ Cyan's scythe encouraged her.

Suddenly, the scythe jerked forward. "_Master! Incoming axe at 5 o'clock!"_

Cyan turned towards that direction and immediately reached out her thoughts towards the axe, willing it to stop in its track. 5 inches away from her face, the axe stopped.

"That was close. Too close for my liking." She wiped the sweat away from her forehead. "Now whoever you are, come out!"

Cyan had forgotten to dispose of the axe so its user won't be able to attack anymore. It whooshed back to where it came from. Before long, a figure emerge. Johanna Brahms, her hands gripping the axe.

There was no need for any introduction of oneself or welcoming phrases. Without hesitation, Cyan rushed in, swinging her death scythe.

"Alright! You know what to do!" Cyan conveyed her thoughts to her scythe.

"_Of course, Master."_

While Cyan tried to control the weapon once more, the scythe acted on its own, attacking Johanna, only using Cyan's arms for support. Johanna was caught off guard. She managed to dodge a death blow to her chest, but lost her left leg in the process.

"Boomerang Style!" Johanna gasped while clutching at the wound. Dodging the attacks are much harder now. She knew that she can't win this fight, but she refused to die without even injuring her opponent.

Her axe flew towards Cyan, who was still trying to control it. Johanna battled Cyan's mind for the control of the axe. Seeing that it was coming closer to her, Cyan gave it up and dodged.

"You're gonna need to do better than that if you want to defeat me!" Cyan taunted.

"You asked for it!" Johanna sneered.

"_Master watch out!"_

It was too late. The axe, which had looped back, struck Cyan's right shoulder. She screamed in pain. In her anger, Cyan wrestled control of the axe from Johanna and ordered it to burst into a million pieces. It did just that.

"Scythe. Finishing blow to the head. Now," Cyan growled.

"_Gladly Master."_

BOOM! Johanna Brahms, D7 Girl, eliminated.

Cyan fell on her knees, clutching at her shoulder. Blood slipped through her fingers and she could feel her consciousness slipping away.

"_Master, the girl had some medicines and bandages with her. And a couple of water bottles. Use them to treat your wounds while I keep a lookout."_

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. Urgh, it hurts a lot. Thanks anyway," Cyan grunted, staggering towards the supplies.

"_I live to serve you Master. There was no need to thank me."_

Touched, she asked, "Hey, scythe. I've been thinking. Do you want a name?"

"_I would certainly love that."_

"That settles it then." Cyan grinned widely. "Your name will be Shinigami. It means reaper. Cause you're my Soul Reaper."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Review please!**

**By the way, to those of you who knows and likes Fairy Tail, do check out me and my friend's Fairy Tail fanfics in the account ThatRandomTribute25. **


	7. Chapter 7

_Third Person P.O.V : Victors and Paylor_

"How come we didn't know of Herald's existence?" Johanna asked.

"Because he was exiled years ago, by Snow himself. Everyone thought he was dead, venturing the Outside alone," Paylor answered.

"Well then everyone thought wrong," Beetee huffed. " Why was he exiled again?"

Paylor's eyes darkened. "At the age of 15, he kidnapped 30 Capitol children and kept them locked up in the President's house. He would take them out one by one, and torture them in the most painful ways possible. These all he did in an underground cellar, so nobody heard the screams or saw the bodies. That was until he hung their decapitated heads on strings and showed them to his grandfather. You could imagine how shocked Snow was. Maybe, if he had killed children from the Districts, he would be forgiven. But definitely not Capitol children. Authorities sentenced him to death, but Snow couldn't bear to kill his own grandson; though he was now a sadistic, insane murderer."

"So he was exiled," Peeta muttered.

"Wh-what should we do then?" Annie whispered, her voice barely audible.

Paylor paced around the room, clearly concentrating hard. She stopped all of a sudden. "Just a quick question. Do you all still remember how to use your guns?"

_Third Person P.O.V : The Games_

The sound of two pairs of footsteps was all that could be heard in the stillness of the jungle. The pursuer and the pursued; Asdf and Blakers respectively.

Out of breath and sides burning, Blakers stopped and whirled around, and fired his hellfire gun. Asdf dropped down to the ground so hard, pieces of gravel stuck to his chin. He missed the fire by a mere inch.

"Man, you almost turned me into extra-fried Asdf!"

Blakers looked confused. "Your name is Asdf? "

Blakers made the mistake of letting his guard down, giving the opportunity for Asdf to fire his frost blaster. Blakers dodged at the last minute, but his two legs were frozen. As he fell to the ground, his icicled legs snapped and broke into a million pieces. Blakers didn't feel anything; he was too numb, but witnessing his legs shatter into pieces was horrifying. He snapped, and started firing his gun aimlessly. He didn't realize when Asdf crept up behind him and smashed a rock to his head, breaking his skull .

BOOM! Blakers Foster, D3 boy, eliminated.

"Frost to fire, fire to frost. I guess frost wins this fight," Asdf mumbled to himself.

* * *

Ace maintained his mind-reading ability within a five-mile radius, so as to warn him if anyone should come. He had successfully found and escaped 2 hideouts. As a result, he had a backpack full of supplies and a tomahawk. Now he had to make the decision to fight or take flight. In other words, be the hunter or the hunted.

* * *

Levina slashed her electric whip madly, trying to hit Liana. She had to win this fight to get Liana's supplies, and to avoid getting killed by her of course. But she was fast, dodging her attacks effortlessly. Her stamina wasn't as high as Levina's though. Sweat had started dripping from her forehead and she was huffing and puffing. "_Once she finds an opening, I'll be dead for sure. I can't keep my guard down!" _ Levina thought.

Just as she thought that, Liana unexpectedly jumped over her, landing on her shoulders. Being strong girl, she could easily bear the Liana's weight. Liana extracted her claws, about to rip Levina's heart out. In a split second, Levina coiled her whip around Liana, and was about to charge it with electricity when-

"Stop! Stop. Listen, I have my claws ready to rip out your heart, and you're ready to electrocute me. Charge your whip with electricity if you must, but be warned. I am no longer a human, which means I won't trash around convulsing when electrocuted. I have around 10 seconds before I die, and in that 10 seconds, I swear I will tear your heart out and crush it in my palms," Liana panted, quite out of breath.

Levina knew from the tone of her voice that she was not lying. "So what do you intend to do?"

"Be my temporary ally. That, or we can proceed to killing each other. I, for one, prefer the former."

* * *

"The girls are nowhere to be found. Just how vast is this arena?" Rey sighed, using a dagger to clean his nails.

As always, Drake didn't answer. Rey seemed to recall him being one of the noisiest tribute. Something happened during the Injections, which left him in this condition. Another thing. His velvet thread, his silent breaths, his overall noiselessness, was unearthing.

"I'm going to scout around the place for a while. Stay here and wait for me. If I'm not back in 30, then I'm in trouble or dead. I, uh, will appreciate it if you come and rescue me," Rey grinned sheepishly.

Drake nodded.

5 minutes after Rey went off, Drake heard footsteps. "_Back already?_" Drake wondered.

_"No. Rey's footsteps sound different; heavier. This one belongs to a girl. Not Fawn or Savannah. It's an enemy!"_

Drake climbed up a tree, getting ready to ambush whoever was coming. It turned out to be Nessie Swan. She must have been quite worn out, staggering forward. Deeming herself too tired to continue further, she sat down on a rock right below the tree Drake was in to take a breather. She opened her backpack, and pulled out a container full of water and started sipping.

"_Now!"_

Drake jumped down, striking Nessie's head before landing ever so quietly. The blow wasn't strong enough to knock her out though. Dazed, she tried standing up, only to be punched by Drake once more. . He wasn't enjoying the work at all. He hated harming girls, no matter how annoying they are. Drake picked up a rock the size of a dictionary and was about to land the finishing blow when suddenly, he found himself surrounded in a wall of fire.

"_What the?! How?!"_

The heat was so intense that Drake was surprised he wasn't scorched or worse, burnt to crisp yet. He could see Nessie sorting out her backpack quickly. In his anger, Drake accidentally touched the flames. Reflex caused him to jerk his hand away. He expected his fingers to be black as charcoal, but was surprised to see that they were fine. No angry red blisters or burns. Gingerly, he extended his right arm and inserted his hand into the fire. Again, nothing.

"_It's just an illusion!"_

Drake then jumped out and started running in pursuit of Nessie. She had a few minutes head start, a major disadvantage to Drake. But Drake was a fast sprinter, and the blows to her head must have disoriented her. It wasn't long before he caught up to her and slammed her down. Nessie screamed as Drake brought the rock down onto her head.

BOOM! Nessie Swan, D13 girl, eliminated.

When Drake went back to the designated place, Rey was already there. And he was quite furious. "Didn't I tell you to wait for me here?"

Drake felt no need to explain himself (not that he could anyway), so he just plopped down, opened a can of cold pasta and started eating.

* * *

Meanwhile, trouble was brewing in the hunter pack. Lance and Alicia were hurling insults at each other. What caused the fight was unclear, but both were pissed at the other. Pretty soon, the fight turned physical.

"Should we, you know, do anything about this?" Meteor asked.

Giving a small smile, Maver replied, "Yeah. Later. For now, let's enjoy the free show."

Alicia had somehow managed to give Lance a nosebleed. Lance kicked her in return and sent her flying to a nearby tree. Furious, Alicia grabbed her throwing knives and was about to throw them when a hand grabbed her arm.

"Whoa! Easy! Relax!" Meteor cried out. He got a ferocious snarl in return. Maver had Lance pinned to the ground.

"Why don't you two blow off some steam?"

"Good idea. In fact, let's all split up and scout around. Hunt while we're at it," Meteor suggested.

"Yeah, that's fine. As long as I won't have to see _his _face," Alicia hissed.

"What time do we get back? And dude, will you _please_ get off me?" Lance grunted.

"As long as you want. We'll be camping here for two more nights." Maver said. "Why don't we have a competition then? See who killed the most tributes."

"What's in it for us?" Alicia questioned.

" Isn't satisfying your thirst for blood enough?" Meteor chuckled.

"Very well then. It's on. I'll take North." Alicia grinned.

"South!" Lance called out. "It's the farthest away from _her."_

"I'll take East," Maver whispered.

"Then West it is for me." Meteor nodded.

* * *

"Shh! Do you hear that?" Liana whispered to Levina, signaling her to crouch down.

"No, what?" said Levina, a little too loudly.

"Keep your volume down! Footsteps. And breathing. There's someone in front of us."

"Who is it?"

Liana sniffed. "It's definitely a boy. He's either from District 2 or 7. They smell the same, it's hard to tell them apart."

"You know, you should stop smelling people. And, let's hide somewhere and ambush him."

"You asked me who it was!" Liana expostulated. "By the way, are you able to kill him right away with your whip?"

Levina shook her head. "After a fight, when my stamina is low, it usually takes about 3-4 lashes."

"Alright then. Hide behind a tree, and I'll climb one opposite yours. Once I give you the signal, lash out your whip and electrocute him. I'll jump down then, and cut his throat with my daggers."

"Just be careful not to get electrocuted."

The boy turned out to be Lance, who was muttering to himself. A wicked-looking sword was strapped to his waist.

5 more steps, 3 steps, 1 step. Liana signaled Levina to lash out her whip. Electrocuted, Lance's body convulsed on the ground. Liana jumped down to land the finishing blow. But Lance was stronger than expected, and he wasn't too happy at the thought of being killed by girls. He sent Liana crashing into the tree she was on.

"Lev! Lash out again!" Liana screamed.

Lance might be strong, but he was slow. It was hard for him to dodge the whip. Taking advantage of his current vulnerable state, Liana climbed up the tree and hung upside-down with her legs from one of the low branches. "Lev!" she cried out. "To me!"

Nodding to show that she understood, Levina began directing Lance towards Liana. "Quick! The branch is breaking!"

After a few more lashes, Lance was finally close enough for Liana to cut his throat.

BOOM! Lance Maelstorm, D2 boy, eliminated.

The two girls plopped down on the ground, exhausted. "We make a pretty good team, eh?" asked Levina.

"Uhuh," Liana hummed.

"I'll take that as a yes."

* * *

**So how was it? Please leave a review! Constructive criticism appreciated!**


	8. Chapter 8

Eric was wolfing down his bread, as if he hadn't eaten for a month. He didn't grab any weapons when he was in the hideout, for he was too busy stuffing food and water into a big backpack.

"I'm still hungry. Should I open another packet?" Eric eyed the packet of bread sitting in his backpack. "Maybe just one bite."

He had just succeeded in opening the packet and getting ready to take a big bite when he heard rustles behind him.

Shoving the whole bread into his mouth, he yelled, "Hwom wis et?!"

There was silence, followed by a hissing noise. "_Erriicccccc….. Diiieeeeee….. Errriiiicccc…. Diieeeee."_

"Umm.. Yes, nice to meet you too. I guess I better run now." With that Eric flung his backpack over his shoulders and dashed out of the small clearing he was in.

Suddenly, out jumped a creature from behind the bushes. It was crimson red, with shimmering scales covering its entire skin. Its body was slender like a snake, with four limbs sprouting from its sides. It had the bushy tail of a wolf, and the head of a sabertooth tiger. It barred its fangs then, roaring so loud the earth shook. The true definition of horror.

Eric ran for his life, sweat pouring down his chin. He now cursed himself for not taking a single weapon when he had the chance. The mutt was hard on his heels , determined to capture its soon-to-be lunch.

His stamina was low, so it wasn't long before Eric felt himself going slower and slower. Stopping means death. Continuing might put him in danger of losing consciousness.

"_Guess I have to fight then!"_

He scavenged the ground and found a sharp piece of rock. Before long, the mutt came, not the least bit tired. "_Luncchhhhh…."_ It hissed, then cackled evilly.

The winner of the fight was already determined from the start. Eric might not feel pain, but his systems are exhausted. He now had to fight the mutt, _and _fatigue. The mutt smacked his face hard, causing Eric to fall on his back. It then proceeded to sinking his fangs into his neck.

BOOM! Eric Valdez, D9 boy, eliminated.

"_Lunnncchhhhh…. Yummmyyyy Luncchhhhhh…"_

* * *

Ace's warning flared as he read the mind of another tribute. It took him several seconds to realize he was reading the mind of Silver. He was quite shocked, for according to his calculations, he wouldn't come into contact with anyone until much later in the game. The astonishment turned quickly into annoyance. Not thinking hard on the matter, he decided to kill Silver.

Farther away but approaching close, was Alicia, a huntress hunting for prey.

* * *

Silver had almost given up his search for Alicia. For 2 days now, he had not seen any sign of Alica's whereabouts or even the Careers. He had escaped death quite a few times now, when he was nearly spotted by one of the other tributes. But he knows his time is limited, and that he might never see her again.

Taking a breather before continuing on his search again, he sat down under a tree, the shade a comfort after being out in the blistering sun for so long. What he didn't know was that behind a tree, lurks Ace, his tomahawk ready. Silently, he crept up to Silver, when suddenly, another warning flared signaling another tribute is close. Alicia Carstairs, one of the Careers. Ace retreated back behind the tree, but in his haste, he stepped on a dry twig. The snapping sound jolted Silver back to reality, and he was instantly on guard for incoming enemies.

Ace knew the odds weren't in his favour if he had to fight two tributes at once, especially if Alicia was one of them. Instinct told him to pick up a rock, and throw it hard to Silver's head. Silver yelled in pain and surprise. While he lays there on the ground, dazed, Ace scrambled up the tree. When he was at least 6 metres up, Alicia burst into the scene, throwing knives lined in an impressive array on her belt.

"Silver? Is that really you? W-What happened? Are you okay?"

Alicia turned her back towards Ace to help Silver out. Knowing it was his chance to take Alicia down once and for all, Ace threw his tomahawk towards Alicia's direction. It should have killed her, that is, if Ace hadn't made the mistake of not reading Silver's mind. Silver pushed Alicia out of the way, taking the hit. Blood gush out of the wound and his mouth. Both Ace and Alicia was horrified.

Killing Alicia when she was unaware then killing the already-injured Silver would have been easy. But now Ace had to deal with an angry Alicia, which is definitely NOT easy.

Alicia whirled around, facing Ace. She was seething with rage and the look she gave Ace was full of bottomless hate. Ace thank the gods that the tree he picked was quite high, so maybe he could escape Alicia. But that was not gonna happen. Alicia was agile as a monkey, and within seconds, she had almost reached Ace. She took out one of her knife and tried to stab Ace's foot. Ace read her mind though, and moved his foot just in time. They continued on like this for another 25 metres, until the branch on which Ace was putting his foot on broke, causing him to slip. Alicia used this chance to slice off both his feet. The tree barks were stained red with blood. Ace screamed, while hanging on for dear life with both his hands. Alicia scrambled up a few more meters and sawed off the branch he was holding on to, causing him to fall 30 meters to the ground, effectively breaking a few of his ribs.

Alicia came down too, momentarily forgetting Ace and went over to Silver, who was on the verge of death. Holding his hands, she tried stopping the heavy bleeding, but to no avail.

"Hey, hey, hey. Stop. It's not gonna work, okay? So just stop. Win this thing for me okay? And, sorry I can't be with you for much longer. I love you," Silver's breath came out short and strained.

"Yeah, yeah I promise. And I love you too," Alicia's voice wavered.

BOOM! Silver Aero, D13 boy, eliminated.

Tears unexpectedly rolled down her cheeks. Alicia was astonished. She hadn't cried since she was 7, when her pet rabbit died. She had been whipped by her father then, who accused her of being weak for crying. Her father, a senile old man, wanted a strong warrior, and crying doesn't cut it for him. From that day onwards, she was devoid of emotions, a ruthless girl. She hadn't known the meaning of love, not until she met Silver. But now that too, is gone. Why is the world bent on making her suffer?

She then turned her attention back to Ace, who was trying to wriggle his way out.

"No can do, Seven. You killed Silver. And I'm going to make you pay."

Ace whimpered, in pain and in fear of the soon-to-come pain. Alicia didn't just kill him directly. She took out all her anguish, her pain, her anger on Ace. The poor guy had went through a lot, from cutting of the limbs, sucker punches to the gut, designs carved on his face with a knife, breaking of the bones. Alicia knew the ways of torture. The secret was not to go too extreme, or the victim will die too early, and suffer less pain. No, that's not what she wanted.

Approximately 5 hours later, Ace's cannon went off.

BOOM! Ace Cahill, D7 boy, eliminated.

"I'll win this." Alicia muttered to herself, while she washed her knives and hands clean of gore. "I promised Silver I'll win this. I won't let him down."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games in any form, size or shape.**

**Author's note: Since school is starting soon, the number of updates I'll be making will be greatly lessened. I apologize beforehand. **

**Please Review, Fav and Follow!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Alright, wait's over. I'm finally updating. Sorry for not updating earlier!**

* * *

"Okay, this won't work." Rey threw up his hands in the air in an exasperated manner. His hair was matted with sweat from being constantly on the move under the scorching sun. "It's been 3 days! And not a single sighting of Sav and Fawn! Is that bastard Hazard trying to separate us or something?!"

Drake fixed his eyes on Rey, staying silent. His expression read, "_Are you actually challenging Hazard?" _Though the ground was littered with dried leaves and twigs, he still continued to thread on silent feet, a feat impossible to others.

"And I've had it with you too!" Rey shook his finger at Drake, face flushed with anger. "Can't you talk?! I've been talking to myself for the past three days, and let me tell you, I do NOT find it enjoyable at the very least!"

When Drake didn't reply, Rey spun on his heel, feeling quite hurt. 'Alright then, why don't we separate our ways? The next time we meet, I won't hesitate to kill you. May the lucky man find the girls, _and _be the victor."

What Drake did next was unexpected, giving Rey quite a shock. He went over to Rey's side, grabbed Rey's hand, shook it hard, and gave him a firm hug. Rey stood frozen, speechless for once. He gazed at Drake with abject horror, as if he had just had an encounter with a ghost.

"Umm… Did you just hug me?"

* * *

"Hey Fox Girl. We're running out of supplies." Levina shouted out to Liana, who was keeping a look out for any trespassers from a tree.

"How much have we got left?" Liana asked.

"A packet of beef jerky, a packet of crackers, 3 breads and water that will last for another 3 to 4 days."

I've been seeing some pretty plump rabbits and wild turkeys scurrying about. We can hunt them down. As for water, I remember there being a lake in the middle of arena. But it's too risky; we never know who's in there. Besides," Liana looked up at the sky, where angry grey clouds were already rolling in, "I think it's about to rain."

At that exact moment, lightning cracked, thunder boomed and rain started pouring down in buckets.

* * *

"Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day," Rhea half hummed, half sang as she huddled close to Azura for warmth, under the shelter they had made out of banana leaves and fallen branches when the rain started to fall. Azura held her water bottles out into the rain, gathering some of the rain water. The rain came down at the perfect moment, when their water supply had almost finished.

"Go and sing to Hazard. He's the one controlling the rain. Maybe if you be extra sweet he'll stop it." Having packed as much sarcasm into the statement as was humanly possible, Azura handed the water bottles to Rhea – full to the brim, and closed her eyes.

"Maybe I should get some rest."

"Okay then, I'll keep a lookout." Rhea said cheerfully.

Azura had just begun to nod off when there was a sizzling noise and the shelter they had built blew up in flames.

* * *

"Hey Dr- Oh wait, Drake isn't here anymore." Rey frowned. He had grown used to someone watching his back, someone to talk to (never mind the fact that the person will not reply) but since they had separated –Rey had gone West, while Drake journeyed East, he had felt quite alone. He hadn't met with the girls yet either, but since the announcer hasn't announced of their deaths yet, there was still hope.

Rey is the exact opposite of Drake; he was noisy. His footsteps scared off any rabbit within a 3 mile radius. To make matters worse, the forest floor was littered with dried leaves and twigs, so there was always a snap, a crack or a rustle wherever he stepped. Rey doesn't seem to bothered about this though. He continued his trek while munching on a salted cracker.

It was the noise that alerted Meteor of an incoming passerby. He readied himself, drawing his sword. He didn't want to use his acid dagger yet, for the noise could belong to an animal, and the meat would be inedible if it was ruined by the acid. So he knelt down on one knee, awaiting for his prey to come to sight, and when Rey did, he immediately jumped out and attacked. Rey gave a cry of alarm and jumped back just in time, but not before he received a long cut across his chest. Blood seeped out onto his clothes, dripping onto the ground.

Rey started to run away, but his shoes caught on the roots of the undergrowth and he tripped, falling on his face. He tried to scramble up, but Meteor prevented him from doing so. He wrestled Rey to the ground, not allowing him to move. Blood continued to flow out of the wound in Rey's chest.

"What's your name again? Ryan? So Ryan, do you know what my specialty is?" Meteor hissed. "Acid. Corrosive ones. Acid that will burn you and leave you covered in blisters and swells. You'll probably just be a slab of bloody meat with holes in it."

The prospect of being turned into a slab of meat horrified Rey. He clawed the ground with his fingers, and threw the soil he got onto Meteor's face. Meteor spluttered, loosening his grip on Rey while he tried getting the dirt out of his face. It was enough for Rey to twist and kick Meteor in the gut. Meteor tumbled off Rey, grunting as he did so. Rey wasted no time in running and taking out his magic paintbrush.

'_Blend with the surroundings, blend with the surroundings, quick, quick, quick,' _Rey thought to himself, fingers shaking as he 'painted' his whole body. When he was done, it was as if he had become part of his surroundings. He was blessedly, literally invisible. No he just had to hold his breath when Meteor comes near. How he wished he was as quiet as Drake is right now!

Meteor huffed along a few seconds after he had finished painting. "Where?!" he panted. "Kicking me in the gut like that, I'll teach him!" Meteor's face flushed with rage. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," Meteor hummed in a sing-song voice. Drawing on his acid dagger, he made his way stealthily, careful not to make any noise.

Rey, who had to close his eyes so his camouflage was perfect, had the disadvantage of not being able to see. He missed the twig in front of him when he shuffled his foot, which resulted in him breaking it. The cracking sound broke the deafening silence, and Meteor immediately, without hesitation, flung his dagger – he had taken some throwing lessons from Alicia, though he can never be as good as her- towards Rey's direction. Rey didn't even had time to scream before the dagger buried itself into his left shoulder. Immediately, the effect of the acid took place. There was a big gaping hole where his shoulder used to be in. Rey fell forward, crying out in agony. With his camouflage destroyed, it took no time for Meteor to spot him.

"You're not escaping me this time!" Meteor snarled. He stabbed Rey countless times, purposely avoiding the vitals so as to prolong his sufferings, until at last, Rey was inevitably, undeniably dead.

BOOM! Rey Evans, D12 boy, eliminated.

Exhausted, Meteor plopped down on a ground, his back leaning on a tree trunk. Rain had started to fall, quite heavily too. Meteor thought about building a shelter, though the tree's leaves he was under in did offer quite a good protection from the pouring rain. He sat there wondering for a minute or two. He then heard a sizzling noise, and looked around. But the rain was too heavy, the fog clouding his sight, and thus, he missed the fireball coming straight at him. When he did see it, it was already too late, and the fireball hit him. Though it was only the size of an apple, it was packed with tremendous energy. The impact caused Meteor to actually go _through_ the tree. When he came out of the other side, his body was separated into two, scorched black, and of course, dead. The tree toppled down, sending flocks of birds flying into the sky in alarm.

BOOM! Meteor Cavalier, D6 boy, eliminated.

* * *

_In the Control Room,_

Hazard burst out laughing at the sight of what remained of Meteor. "That was awesome Athena! How did you manage to invent these stuffs?"

Athena smiled shyly, "Oh well, I did receive some help from Daedalus."

"Well, BRAVO TO YOU TWO THEN! You _have_ to explain to me how those fireball works. Seriously, going through a tree, separated into two. Say, can we use that attack again? On those two girls resting in their shelter."

Athena turned towards her computer screen and started hammering on the glass keypads. "Rhea Thorne and Azura Angelique – Oh I've always thought Angelique was a pretty name. Such a shame that wasn't my name. But anyways, all systems set Sir. You can fire at will."

Hazard grinned as wide as the Chesire Cat. "Fire then, and please, do me a favour and don't show them any mercy."

Athena's eyes darkened as she smiled evilly. "I've never known mercy. Or kindness for that matter." And then she pushed a button.

* * *

The shelter blew up, and the girls were flung into the air, thrown towards the ground. it wasn't a smooth landing. Azura's vision blurred, and the world seemed to spin around her. She can't seem to balance either; most probably a mild concussion. She scanned her surroundings, trying to find Rhea, and found the other girl still sprawled awkwardly on the ground, unconscious. There was another sizzle, and Azura only had enough time to jump out of the way before another fireball hit the ground she was on moments ago.

The heavy rain and the thick fog made matters worse. She had to squint to see her own hand. Covered in muck from head to toe, she made her way towards Rhea, alert for any more sizzles. The ground was so slippery she had trouble staying on her foot. There it is again! Azura saw the silhouette of a fast-approaching fireball and dived out of the way. She felt a sudden wave of nausea and retched out breakfast. "_What a waste," _she thought bitterly before she had to dive out of the way from another incoming fireball.

"_Stopping is certain death, huh?"_

God only knows what's happened to Rhea. Last time she saw her, she was lying unconscious. There was no telling of whether she had survived the fireballs. Then she saw the silhouette of a person.

"_Friend or foe?! This is such a bad timing!"_

Azura drew out her swords, and as the figure bounded closer towards her, she saw that it was Rhea. Blood and dirt stained her face. Relief loosened Azura's hands. She waved to Rhea, hoping she could see the signal, when suddenly, she heard another sizzle. But this time, it wasn't aiming at her. It was aiming at Rhea.

"RHEA! WATCH OUT!"

Foolishly, Rhea stopped, and looked to her right. Her eyes widened, and the fireball struck her.

BOOM! Rhea Thorne, D11 girl, eliminated.

As Hazard had hoped, the sight of the remains of her friend unhinged Azura. She cried out, her swords clattering on the ground. She stood there stock-still, awaiting more fireballs, but none came. The assault was over. Azura fell on her knees, head in her hands. As the sky cried, she too, sobbed miserably.

* * *

**Review, Fav and Follow please!**

_Special thanks to Unxious Custard for the review you gave me. It helped a lot, and I'm trying hard to follow your advice of 'showing and not telling'. Thanks a lot!_

**I hoped you enjoy this chapter. Tune in again next week for another chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay so, this is a slightly boring chapter, not much kills. Sorry for that. Please bear with it.**

* * *

Cyan heard another cannon fire, signaling another death. A few moments later, another two more fired. There was that familiar whirring noise and a female voice announced that Rey, Meteor and Rhea had died. Cyan felt a bitter taste in her mouth. 3 more deaths, 3 steps closer to victory. But at what cost? The pain of killing innocent lives; it was overwhelming. Sometimes, she thinks she was going crazy, seeing things that weren't supposed to be there. All of them were visions of the girl she killed not long ago. Johanna Mason. She would dream of Johanna lying face down in a pool of her own blood. Or Johanna cackling madly as she watch her burn to death, tied up on a stake. Cyan shuddered. It didn't feel like a dream at all.

She knew now that she had to win. She had killed someone, without mercy, for the sake of survival. She wouldn't let that kill be a waste. She will win this.

* * *

The cannons alerted him of the deaths. Maver knew he hadn't imagined it when he thought he could hear screams a while back. What he didn't expect was for Meteor to be the victim. Maver stopped in his tracks, feeling quite dazed. Meteor had been good company, maybe even a good friend.

"_Friend.. I've never had a friend before," _Maver wondered to himself.

He had been quite glad when the announcer announced the death of Lance. He loved to boast about his strength, but Maver was sure even Fawn could take him down in a flash. Furthermore, he simply loved to annoy others, especially Alicia. Why, just a few days back, she had almost killed him. The corner of his mouths twitched as he recounted the memories. The Careers are long gone now, with two of its members missing. Who knows what's happened to Alicia? Probably in a state of depression, with her 'boyfriend' dead and all that.

Then again, this was Alicia Carstairs. Depression isn't exactly in her dictionary.

Maver realized then that he had been standing in that position, daydreaming for about 15 minutes. He trudged on then, silently reminiscing memories.

* * *

"Gotcha!" Levina yelled as her electric whip coiled around the body of a fat turkey. Unfortunately, she forgot to turn the electric charge off and the poor creature was electrocuted. Levina gave a small yelp and uncoiled it, where it lay twitching on the ground. Liana squatted down next to it, poking the twitching turkey with a stick. "You think it's edible?" she asked, frowning.

"Uhh.. Let's try skinning it first. Maybe you'll find that electrified turkeys are rather delicious."

"Not taking any chances." The corners of Liana's mouth quirked up. "I did some hunting too. I built a small fire and quickly covered it up with dirt so it's extinguished and won't give out smoke, at the same time ensuring that the coal is still hot. The rabbits are cooking on them now. So you can either pluck turkey feathers out and see if electrified birds taste good, or you can come with me and eat a _scrumptious_ meal of roasted rabbits," said Liana in a drawling, sing-song voice.

Levina muttered something under her breath. To her extreme amusement, Liana heard snatches of 'electrified turkey' 'pretty sure' 'more delicious' and 'roasted rabbits'.

Liana went on ahead, checking to see if the rabbits were done. Levina stared at the twitching creature on the ground. It didn't look that delicious at all, scorched black. The smell of roasted rabbits wafted through the air, making her stomach grumble. "_Oh well, I could use some rabbit meat. Besides, it'll take ages to pluck out all these feathers, and I'm practically starving here," _Levina thought to herself.

Her mouth quirking up in the corners, she took a step forward. Still smiling as her right foot struck the leaf-littered ground. Triggering the barbed net that sprang up from the ground and encased her.

Laughter turned into screams. Levina was instantly bloodied, scarlet fluid pooling beneath her. She trashed around wildly, trying to free herself. Liana, having heard the screams, was horrified to see what had occurred. She sprinted to where Levina was, calling out to her to not move. Liana tried yanking the net out, but this just made Levina even more entangled. Agony took over and she started screaming in pain and she trashed even more wildly, not taking heed of Liana's advice to not move. Her foot unexpectedly caught on a root then, and she fell on her back. Triggering yet another trap.

Liana jumped back in terror as she saw what was happening. Small holes must have appeared under Levina, and from them out came out 2 metre rods with their ends sharpened, puncturing Levina's stomach and limbs. She wailed loudly, the excruciating pain too much for her to bear. Her face was grey with dying, she pleaded Liana to end her suffering and kill her. Not being able to stand watching her friend writhe in pain, Liana swiftly took out her dagger and threw it directly to Levina's heart.

BOOM! Levina Scarlet, D1 girl, eliminated.

Liana took a few tentative steps towards Levina's mutilated body. "No…" she whispered. Levina never did get to enjoy those rabbits…

* * *

Asdf knew as soon as Maver pounced on him that he was probably not gonna survive this. Here was one of the top Careers, and all he had to fight him was a frost blaster. To make matters worse, Maver had dodged every single blast he had shot, if not with ease. Which was really odd, considering that he's blind and all that. There was an indifferent, almost bored, expression on his face. Asdf gulped nervously as he realized that Maver was only playing with him. Maver had gotten closer to him, and Asdf knew that he had to run now, and fast. But he had never been a good sprinter, despite the years of training he had. Maver, on the other hand, was faster than a cheetah, and it wasn't long before he had knocked the weapon out of Asdf's hand and had him pinned to the ground.

"Come on, man. Don't do this. Please. Let's be allies for the meantime. I'll give you anything you want. Supplies, medicine, water, anything you want, man," Asdf was almost hysterical.

Maver seemed to ponder on this for a while. He then grinned wide and whispered in Asdf's ear, "What if, I want you dead?" Asdf only had time to make a startled noise before Maver took out his blade and stuck it directly into his chest.

BOOM! Asdf Qwerty, D10 boy, eliminated.

Without a word, Maver got up, dusted himself, and continued walking with ease, acting as if he had not just taken someone's life away.

* * *

_Third Person P.O.V, the Victors_

It had been days now, and Hazard's hideout was still nowhere to be found. Beetee, Haymitch and Annie had stayed behind, dealing with the computer, control and the crowd, while the rest of the victors had been sent by Paylor to track Hazard and kill him on the spot. Death was of course, not an impossible occurrence.

A group of 30 of the best soldiers in Panem had been sent to accompany them. For a period of 5 days now, they had scoured the unknown lands of the Outside. Water was hard to find, and when found it was only in small amounts. Everyone was exhausted and grimy, their faces streaked with dust.

"Urgh, I'm getting old," Johanna grumbled, stretching her back like a cat. "I tire too quickly."

Peeta stifled a laugh, and he was rewarded with a venomous glare from Johanna.

"Now's not the time to be joking around," said Katniss firmly. "Paylor has just informed us that another 2 had died. That's a total of 17 dead kids. _Kids_," she hissed out the word.

Peeta wrapped his arms around her. "We'll find them, don't worry. And we'll save those remaining 9 kids. "

Katniss looked at him, fear visible in her eyes. "I'm scared for them Peeta. Don't you remember what it felt like? Taking the life of an innocent, watching someone die before your very eyes. It leaves a mark, a scar that never really goes away."

"Of course I do sweetheart, of course I do," Peeta whispered in a soothing tone, stroking her head. "That's why we'll save them."

"If anything happens to us… What would happen to the kids?" Katniss whimpered.

Peeta shook his head. "Nothing's gonna happen to us, to you. We'll be home before you know it, and we'll continue living our lives like we used to. Just us and the kids. "

Katniss's mouth quirked up at the corners and she smiled tiredly. "Well then, may the odds be _ever_ in our favour."

* * *

**To answer the reviewers:**

**Napalm5av10/Ace : Gee.. When you put it that way... And Alicia was the one who requested your death + suffering. :D**

**TrueEricValdez: **

**Those who have been eliminated:**

**-Peter Dwight, D4 boy**

**-Tamora Pierce, D6 girl**

**-Felix Vader, D8 boy**

**-Vanellope Castellan, D9 girl**

**-Neon Lightwood, D5 boy**

**-Johanna Brahms, D7 girl**

**-Blakers Foster, D3 boy**

**-Lance Maelstorm, D2 boy**

**-Nessie Swan, D13 girl**

**-Eric Valdez, D9 boy**

**-Silver Aero, D13 boy**

**-Ace Cahill, D7 boy**

**-Rey Evans, D12 boy**

**-Meteor Cavalier, D6 boy**

**-Rue Thorne, D11 girl**

**-Levina Scarlett, D1 girl**

**-Asdf Qwerty, D10 boy**

**Survivors:**

**-Drake Oblivion, D11 boy**

**-Maver Crood, D1 boy**

**-Savannah White, D8 girl**

**-Fawn Albarn, D12 girl**

**-Liana Chase, D5 girl**

**-Amber Malik, D3 girl**

**-Azura Angelique, D4 girl**

**-Cyan Wilder, D10 girl**

**-Alicia Carstairs, D2 girl**

**Review, Fav and Follow please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the late update guys! and this chapter isn't as long as the others, so yeah... Sorry again.**

* * *

_Third Person P.O.V, The Games_

Liana felt queasy, especially after watching her friend's gory death. First it had been Rhea. She hadn't been able to believe that she had died so soon, before they had even met. Now, it's Levina. It had required tremendous effort for her to gulp down pieces of rabbit meat, and even more to will it to stay in her stomach. Liana had begun to miss Levina's endless chatter, and she was always turning to speak to someone who was not there, the light in her face dying as she remembered there was no one left to watch her back and fell silent.

Just then, she caught the unmistakable scent of a person. The pants and the lighter thread of footsteps suggested that the person was a girl. Liana cursed silently. The timing was terribly wrong. For the girl to have survived this long, she must have been one of the stronger tributes. The girl with the death scythe, perhaps?

10 meters up a tree, concealed within the lush green leaves, she saw who the tribute was. Amber Malik, her Teigu in the form of a shield. Liana listed the pros and cons of attacking mentally, and decided against it. She wasn't exactly in the best shape right now. Amber was directly under her tree now, and that was when tragedy occurred. Liana stepped on a loose branch, which immediately snapped and fell to the ground. Liana managed to save herself by grabbing onto another branch, but the snapping sound had alerted Amber of her presence. Amber immediately glanced up, muscles tense, her mouth a thin hard line. With a flick of her hand, she changed her Teigu to the form a humongous scissors and chopped the tree in half.

The tree toppled down in a tangled mess of branches and leaves, and Liana had no choice but to jump down. She landed on the ground in a crouch, seemingly unharmed. Not for long though. Amber wasted no time in attacking. Teigu changing into a sword, she charged at Liana, who bared her deadly fangs and claws. Liana dodged the multiple blows made by Amber, and then slammed her body hard into the other girl's. amber staggered backwards, stunned, and Liana used this opportunity to rake her claws across Amber's face. She didn't get far though, as the other girl had fast reflexes and shielded herself before further damage can be done.

The Teigu changed again, and at such a fast rate that Liana didn't see it. The spear was already sailing towards her before she had time to react. She jerked to the left, dodging a fatal blow, but still had her side pierced. Red liquid flowed out of her body, spilling out of her fingers. She ripped up the sleeve of her shirt with her teeth and used it as a temporary bandage. Liana snarled, her face set with determination. If she was going to die, then this girl will die with her.

With newfound strength, Liana attacked Amber. She somersaulted in the air, jumping over Amber and raking her back before landing behind her. "What the?!" Amber cried out, more to shock than pain. Angered, she grabbed her weapon and in a blinding flash of light, her weapon encased her two hands, creating golden claws that matched Liana's.

Liana made a muffled sound of protest. They started slashing at each other; Liana would occasionally bite too. Within a few minutes, they were covered in cuts and bruises, panting hard. Liana could feel herself getting weaker and weaker as blood continued to seep out of her wound. But she was determined not to show it.

As a last ditch attempt, she did to Amber what Devious did to her when they first met. She was glad that she had perfected that move, or else she'd probably run out of options right now. As Amber crashed to the ground, she raised up her arm and sank her claws into Amber's heart. Amber hacked and coughed out blood, convulsing on the ground before her heart finally stopped beating.

BOOM! Amber Malik, D3 Girl, eliminated

Liana slumped on the ground. The bandage she had made with her sleeve was soaked through with blood. She can feel her own heartbeat, weak, so very weak, barely a flutter. There's no going back now; she had lost too much blood. Ah, well. This isn't such a bad place to die. The place was peaceful and quiet, with only the occasional cheerful chirp of a bird. A gentle breeze was blowing, carrying the sweet scent of flowers. Closing her eyes, she waited. A whole minute passed before her hands went limp and she ceased breathing.

BOOM! Liana Chase, D5 girl, eliminated.

_Third Person P.O.V, Org XII_

Hazard clapped his hands, laughing wildly. "Perfect! Perfect! Two more deaths!"

Devious, leaning against the wall beside him, rolled her eyes. "Sir, we have a total of 50,000 men at our disposal right now, each of them brainwashed. Daedalus is asking for your permission to start injecting them with the serums. "

The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a look of concentration. "Have they all been trained? Are they strong enough to withstand these serums?"

"Every morning for the past 3 years sir. And, according to Daedalus, since the children survived, there is a big chance that yes, they too will survive. There are some cases, however, such as the mutation process, which possess a greater risk than the others."

Hazard pondered on this for a while. "Use those serums only on the toughest and healthiest soldier we have. The survival rate will increase. We will start the invasion once the first Victor of Death Carnival has been chosen. "

Devious nodded, "Yes sir, I will carry out your orders immediately."

Hazard turned towards Athena, who was absent-mindedly playing with her fingernails. "Athena, how is Panem doing?"

Tapping on the keyboard, she answered, "Great distress sir. Especially the parents of those children. Sad, really. Paylor is trying her best to calm the nation down, but I'm starting to think it's futile." She shrugged. "People hated the Hunger Games. They still do. "

Hazard smiled. "Any news on Katniss Everdeen and the rest?"

"There has been no sighting of her for 5 days now. She was last seen journeying to the Capitol to meet up with Paylor. "

"Look it up then Athena. " Hazard said in a steely voice. "I want to know their plans, all of it. Also, their weaknesses, their strong points and their greatest fear. We'll use these things against them. Am I understood?"

Without looking up from the screen of her computer, Athena answered, "Yes, sir."

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**See that little box over there? Do my a favour and type me your review. Much appreciated! **

**Thanks for reading the story.**


	12. Chapter 12

**One word.**

**DRAMA.**

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_Third Person P.O.V, The Games_

3 hours after the last cannon was shot, Cyan stumbled upon Drake. Hiding her astonishment as best as she could, she then activated her death scythe. She could feel Shinigami's confusion at not sensing the boy coursing through her mind.

'_I'm sorry, Master. My radars warned me nothing of incoming danger. I have failed you.'_

"No, you haven't." Cyan whispered through gritted teeth. "But you can make it up to me, by killing this guy. " The boy obviously wasn't normal –none of them was. Something about the way he walked, silent and full of grace, which creeps the hell out of her.

What she didn't expect was for the boy to turn around and started running full speed towards the other direction. He was fast, and within seconds he was almost out of view.

"What the?!" Cyan flushed with anger and followed him. But he had a few seconds head start, enough to outrun her and disappear from sight. Before he could do that, Cyan threw her scythe, shouting, "Aim for the head, Shinigami!"

Shinigami flew straight and true, target locked. It would have severed his head off, but at the last second, the boy jumped and rolled into the bushes. The only injury he sustained was a long but shallow cut on his right shoulder. Shinigami struck a tree trunk, almost cutting it into two. Cyan willed it to come back to her, cursing under her breath.

"Is he gone?"

"_So it seems. I did manage to cut him though, so there should be a trail of blood leading us to him. Do you want me to start tracking him, Master?"_

Cyan stayed silent for a while. "No. It would be foolish of me to go looking for trouble. Let it find me, and then the both of us will make sure we'll wipe it off the face of the earth."

"_Wise as always, Master."_

* * *

Drake didn't stop running until his lungs and sides burn, hair matted with sweat. He was sure that if he could still hear his heart beating, it would be pounding like a drum. The cut was still oozing out blood, sending stabs of pain to his body. Drake slowed down to a halt, rummaging inside his backpack to see if he had any bandages. There it is! He rubbed the wound with some weird-smelling medicine and bandaged it nice and tight. That's better, he thought. Now that he could think clearly, he realized how hungry he was. He had not much food left, just a few crackers and some dried beef jerky. Sadly, he didn't know how to hunt; he hadn't bothered to learn how to during his training years.

Darn it.

At least he knew some edible plants and roots. He was from District 11 after all –nevermind the fact that he was taken when he was only 6, thus his knowledge of plants is very limited. He still had to be careful though; one wrong bite and it's bye-bye to Drake Oblivion.

For now, he would have to suffice with crackers and jerky. Fearing the girl might be tracking him, Drake got up and continued his never-ending hike. He did NOT want to encounter the death scythe again.

What he didn't know was that he was about to face an even greater danger, for 20 meters away from him was Maver, who had already smelled his blood, ready to attack. Furthermore, Savannah, who had split up with Fawn after the tension had became too great, was also coming towards them, though slightly farther away. Far enough for Maver not to sense her. Yet.

* * *

Something bad is about to happen. Savannah could feel it in her bones. But what? Feeling oddly restless, she decided to relieve some stress and tension by shooting some arrows. She was in need of food anyway, and a few of those plump squirrels would help. Within minutes, five of them lay dead at her feet. They were her usual clean shots to the eye, something she had perfected during her training years. Not that she can afford not to. For one, she was about to enter a deadly competition where losing means certain death. The bow and arrow might well be her saviors. And then, there was Zeus. He would scream at her whenever she missed the target, or even resort to violence. She had spent countless hours during the day practicing, and countless night crying herself to sleep.

She missed home. Her father's twinkling eyes, her mother's sweet singing, her little house that was always filled with warmth. She remembered her mother's swollen belly, how her father had announced with pride and love that they were expecting a baby. They hadn't known whether it was a girl or a boy then, and now, there was a chance that Savannah never will. No matter. With her gone, there would be one less mouth to feed.

Suddenly, she remembered Fawn. The sweet, innocent girl who was small for her age. Don't let her size fool you though. She could cut her opponents into two using that wicked katana of hers. Not to mention her size-manipulating ability. Savannah had thought she looked as fragile as glass then, but years of training had made her stronger. Fawn had managed to build a protective wall around her fragile heart, hiding her emotions in the dark. She didn't want to get close to anybody, had even pushed her best friend away, to avoid getting attached to anyone. After all, there's a very big chance that they were going to die -her included.

That was, until Rey had been killed.

The wall came crashing down and a torrent of grief had washed upon Fawn. She had cried mournfully that day, till no more tears would come out. The next day, with her eyes still red and puffy and the trails of tears on her cheeks still visible, she had told Savannah she wanted them to go on their separate ways. The tension was too great, she had said, but Savannah suspected it was something else. Savannah tried negotiating with Fawn, but in the end, knowing it was futile, she obliged to her wishes. She didn't want to have to kill each other anyway.

And then, there was Drake. She had never seen anyone so perfect. All black hair, hazelnut eyes, and caramel-coloured skin. She sighed. The Fates are cruel, letting her fall in love when her death (and his) is inevitable. After the injections, the tributes had been locked up in separate cells, each with different training grounds, thus giving her no chance to see him for a little more than 6 years.

It had taken all her willpower not to swoon when she finally did see him. He had grown taller –obviously better-looking, with muscles that are more prominent. But there was something wrong with him. The way he moved –as if he was gliding, and the way he never talked anymore. She missed his laugh, the way it had made her heart ring like a bell. He rarely smiles now, which was a pity. What she wouldn't give to have one of those smiles directed at her.

_"Enough with the daydreams," _Savannah scolded herself. "_You'll get yourself killed, not paying attention to your surroundings."_

* * *

He was silent. Too silent for Maver's liking. If not for his heightened sense of smell, he would have missed the boy entirely. There was still a faint scent of blood coming from him. Good. He's injured. It will make killing him much easier. The smell was getting stronger by the second. He must be close now. At that, Maver unconsciously brought his hand up to touch his bandaged eyes. He wished he could still see. It's hard to rely on his other senses to judge the position of another being. He sighed. _Curse that Hazard. I'll cut out his eyes, just so he can feel what it's like spending his days without his vision. _

His nose wrinkled. It's time –the boy is directly beneath him. He amused himself with the thoughts of gouging out Hazard's eyes while he jumped down, landing right on top of an extremely astonished Drake.

* * *

Shit.

The one word repeating itself over and over again in Drake's head as Maver swooped down from above and crashed into him. As expected of the Silent Predator. Face landing hard on the ground, he thought, "_If this guy is as good as they say he is, I'll be dead in 5 seconds."_

Panic flared as Drake heard the sound of a knife being unsheathed. Adrenaline kicked in and he rolled over, throwing Maver to his side. It would be no use in trying to outrun him. He doubted he'd be able to 'disappear' like before too. Maver would easily use his sense of smell to track him down. He had one choice and one choice only. Fight.

He pulled out his dart gun, armed with poisonous darts. He had a knife strapped on his belt, hidden under his shirt, but he decided to only use it when the situation looks bleak. First shot. The dart flew, tip glinting in the sun. Maver stepped aside with ease and it ended up getting stuck in the trunk of a tree. Immediately, the poison took effect and its branches drooped, a number of leaves turned a sickly yellow and fluttered to the ground. That was how deadly the poison was.

Maver frowned, clearly thinking of what would have happened if it had hit him. Second shot. Missed again. Sweat started forming on Drake's forehead. 2 down, 8 more to go. The odds are certainly not in his favour. A small part of him mind started wondering if it was honorable to die by the hands of one of the top tributes. He cringed; dying doesn't sound fun at all.

"My turn," Maver hissed. He ran towards Drake, but instead of attacking directly, he started hopping from one tree trunk to another faster than any human ever could (that is, if they actually can hop from tree to tree), confusing Drake. Maver was only a blur now, and Drake realized with despair that he couldn't possibly predict in which direction he would attack, which means he was open at all sides.

Maver decided he should probably stop messing around and start attacking, and that was exactly what he did. He slashed Drake continuously at all sides, and pretty soon, Drake was covered in cuts oozing vermillion liquid. Coughing out blood, he shot another one of his darts, and completely missed Maver.

"_When will he learn?_" Maver thought, sighing inwardly. Those petty darts won't affect him at all. Not if he can dodge them, and he _can. _Before Drake can shoot those darts again, Maver advanced and cut Drake's chest multiple times. He then proceeded to kick him in the knee caps, hard. Drake stumbled on his back and within seconds, Maver had him pinned to the ground.

"Goodnight," he whispered in a sing-song voice, raising his dagger. Drake's eyes went wide with terror as he thrashed around, trying to get a grip on the hilt of his knife. Then, a miracle occurred. Maver stopped, ears perked up and nose wrinkling. "Such a bad timing. A girl approaches. Savannah White."

* * *

She thought she could hear something. The ringing sound of metal cutting through air. Was it just her imagination? Imagination or not, Savannah knew it was foolish of her to follow the source of the disturbance, that it was a recipe for disaster. But she couldn't help it. She felt drawn to it, as if some unknown force was urging her to find the source. Her gut told her otherwise, but then again, her gut hadn't been of much help. The noise got louder for a second, and then it stopped. It came from a clearing not far ahead. Curiosity killed the cat, and Savannah found herself walking towards it.

* * *

Newfound strength surged in his body at the mention of Savannah's name. He knew that once Maver had killed him, he would dispose of Savannah next. Thrashing even more wildly, he finally found the hilt of his knife and slashed maniacally at a very astonished Maver. Drake succeeded in cutting a short but deep cut on Maver's stomach, and as his grip on him slackened, Drake kicked him off. Not wasting any time, Drake threw a punch at Maver, and sent him flying towards a nearby tree. Leaves fluttered down as he crashed, groaning in pain. Suddenly, Savannah stumbled into the clearing. He only had time to take step forward, willing her silently to run, before the dagger struck him. Coughing out blood, he cursed himself for being so foolish; of course Maver can throw his daggers, he's a Career. His knees gave way then, and he heard Savannah's shrill screaming resounding in his ears.

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**I know, I know. No one died. Yet. I got tired of killing the characters, but I promise more will die in the next chapter. **

**At least there was a Dravannah (for those in DTCB, Winniki) scene. **

**And drama. Everybody loves a good drama once in a while.**

**Follow my twitter account: BerlianaTj**

**And the official cast of the Death Carnival's account: tributesdiverge**

**Thanks for reading my story everyone!**


	13. Chapter 13

**You're all probably gonna hate me for being such a romance ruiner. **

**At that happy note, let's begin.. Enjoy..**

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_'You useless fool!' _Savannah's inner voice scolded her. '_Drake just got stabbed and all you can do is SCREAM!' _

Nevertheless she kept screaming. Already she could see Maver advancing towards her, though he was cringing at how shrill her scream was. She forced her lungs to take in some air, her screams turning into whimpers. No, she refuses to go down screaming. The love of her life had just been stabbed –and he's probably dead by now, in front of her eyes. The least she could do is put up a good fight. She swung her bow, stringing in one of her arrows set for explosives and boomerang maneuver. Even if the arrow missed, the explosion should kill Maver off.

* * *

He tried getting up, but simply couldn't. Drake was losing too much blood, and fast. Though his vision was blurry, he could still make out Savannah with her arrow ready to fly and Maver advancing towards her like a stealthy panther. He moved his arm slightly to the left, and his hand came across his dart gun. Brilliant! He could use it while Maver is distracted. It was risky though. Drake would only have one shot, and if he flunked that shot, Maver would definitely come after him. Summoning up his last reserves of energy, he propped himself up on one elbow. Savannah noticed this –he could tell at how her eyes widened in shock, but didn't take her eyes off Maver. He caught her eye, and an unspoken message passed between them. "_Don't shoot the arrow. Not till I give the signal."_

Silently, he raised the dart gun and aimed it at Maver. He gave a nod to Savannah, and she let her arrow fly. It flew, straight and true, faster than any other ordinary arrows. Even Maver had a difficult time dodging it, but he did, and he snickered arrogantly. His happiness was short-lived though, as he then felt a prick on his shoulder. "What in the world?" He grappled around, trying to find the thing that had pricked him.

It was one of those poison darts.

Before he could say or do anything, the arrow that he had dodged swerved back towards him. This time, as the poison had disoriented him, he wasn't fast enough to dodge it. The arrow reached its target, and blew up.

BOOM! Maver Crood, D1 boy, eliminated.

Bits of flesh and blood sprayed everywhere, adding the last macabre touch to the clearing. Savannah scrambled towards Drake, who was now lying in a pool of his own blood. She placed his head on her lap, pushing strands of hair out of his face. "No, no, no. Don't die. Please. Stay with me."

Drake opened his mouth to speak, and remembered of his curse. He scowled. He wasn't going to let any curse stop him now. He strained hard, willing his voice to come out. Until at last, he coughed out droplets of blood, and wheezing noises came out.

"Can y-you, hear m-me?" he wheezed. Savannah wiped the tears flowing down her cheeks. "Yeah, yeah of course I can."

"That stupid Hazard, taking my voice away from me. I never got a chance to tell you this Sav, but I think you're the most beautiful girl in the world. Just the sight of you leaves me breathless. Even the beauty of the stars and the moon combined cannot hope to compare with yours. I love you, will always do. My time here is limited; I have only minutes left. So please, picture me as a healthy boy, not some guy drowning in his own blood. If I had asked you to be my girl then, what would you have said?"

"Just this." With that, Savannah leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. She tasted the slightly salty, metallic taste of blood. Though she should have felt only sorrow, a tiny, sudden burst of joy flared in her heart. She lingered on the kiss a while longer, treating Drake as if he was made of china. Unable to take it anymore, she pulled away from him and broke down, sobbing her heart out.

"Don't cry. Don't cry," Drake whispered, stroking her hair tenderly. It was ironic; she should be the one comforting him. "If you ever feel lost or alone, know that I'll always be watching you from above. I'll always be with you. You can think of me as your guardian angel. So don't cry. Don't cry."

She nodded, her sobs quieting down. "Want me to tell you a little story?" Drake asked. "I'd love to hear it, Drake. But you should save your energy," Savannah whispered. He frowned, "I wouldn't mind wasting my energy on you. So here goes.

"See, there was this little boy. He grew up in a broken family, not knowing the meaning of love. He had no friends either, and he would spend hours playing by himself in the golden fields." Drake paused to cough. Savannah shot him a concerned look, but he waved it away. "And then when he was 6, a woman with flaming red-hair approached him, a wolf disguised in sheep's clothing. She deceived the little boy, and kidnapped him. He wasn't sad, really, to be taken away from his home. There was no one who cared for him anyway. But he was terrified. Any 6 year old kid would. He was thrown into a dark, dark room, filled with 25 other kids whimpering in fright. And in there, he met the most beautiful girl in the world."

Drake sighed happily, eyes glazed. "All fair skin, wild eyes and raven hair. Left me standing there with my mouth open like a doofus." Savannah chuckled half-heartedly.

"Do you know who she is?" Drake asked.

"I do, but I'd like to hear you say it."

"It's you. We're destined to be together, I tell you. We just didn't get a happy ending this time. In the next life though, when we have been reborn into a better world, we'll get it for sure. I know it."

Drake coughed again, and blood splattered on his shirt. When he spoke again, his voice was barely a whisper. "Win this thing for me Sav. Promise me."

"Yeah, yeah of course. I promise." Savannah nodded her head vigorously, emphasizing her point.

"And promise me that you won't cry anymore."

"Shush now." She gripped Drake's hand, watching sadly as his eyelids began to close, slowly, slowly.

BOOM! Drake Oblivion, D11 boy, eliminated

Savannah couldn't help it. Alone she sat there for hours, as waves of grief crashed upon her again and again, sobs racking her petite frame.

* * *

_Third Person P.O.V, The Victors_

"We got a hit!" Johanna cried, pointing to her sensor device which was beeping like crazy.

"About time," Peeta nodded, grim. "Where exactly?"

"50 metres North from here."

"Well, let's get a move on then! There are only 5 kids left!" Katniss cried out impatiently.

"Look Kat, I know you want to save those kids, but we should tread carefully. For all we know, traps could be set out everywhere. It would be pointless if we were to die too."

Katniss flushed with anger, "I don't care! Those kids need us Johanna, and they need us fast. Every minute, every second counts. I'm not about to take my own sweet time, only to get there and find there are no more kids left to be saved!"

"I am not asking you to take your own sweet time!" Johanna hissed, furious. "I'm asking you to be careful! You and your hotheadedness! I won't be surprised if you'll get us all killed!"

Katniss opened her mouth, and closed it again. She turned around and stalked off angrily, leaving the others staring behind her.

"That was harsh, Jo," Peeta commented.

"I was simply stating a fact, Bread Boy. Now quit goggling around and pick up the pace! Mockingjay there might get lost, stalking off by herself."

* * *

_Third Person P.O.V, The Games_

Cyan knew what she had said –that she'd let trouble find her. She just didn't expect it'd find her that quick. "Block, Shinigami!"

Azura's red-hot sword came crashing down on the death scythe, the sound produced ear-splitting. Using her unique ability, Cyan controlled the movements of the other sword. She could feel it trying to break free of her mind's iron grip. She shuddered; the sword was freezing cold.

Azura's expression turned into that of confusion. Her ice sword was heavy, not moving the way she wanted it to be. She realized with a start that this was the girl she had heard other tributes whispering about. Master of the Weapons, they had called her. Is this girl actually controlling her sword? But that's impossible! Then again, this was Hazard's inventions they were talking about. Azura smiled bitterly. Nothing is impossible to him.

She parried with Cyan using her fire sword, but Cyan handled the scythe remarkably well, and it was impossible to even touch her. It almost seemed like the scythe was alive. Suddenly, Azura heard a crack and cried out in surprise as her ice sword broke into a million tiny pieces. Cyan stood a few feet away from her, a satisfied smile plastered on her face, her breath coming in loud pants. Azura gulped nervously, fear already striking her heart. Her sword had been broken from the inside out, by the other girl's mind. No doubt she could do it again to her other sword if she wanted to.

Before that could happen Azura charged, yelling as she did so. The scythe blocked her sword from hurting Cyan again, but this time she willed her sword to give out extra heat. Shinigami sent out a distress signal to Cyan's mind, and Cyan had no choice but to pull away. Thrilled she found a crack in her defense, Azura stroke again and again, leaping left to right gracefully, her sword blazing. Cyan clucked her tongue disapprovingly when the tip of the sword passed inches from her face. The sword was too hot for Cyan's mind to control, therefore, she had no means to stop it.

"Shinigami! I need you! Activate Code Red_!"_

_"Code Red: Activated."_

Shinigami shuddered, and Cyan could feel something unusual taking place within. "_Rest assured Master. I will finish her off. Release me, and I will proceed to do so immediately."_

Cyan did as she was told, and Shinigami took off flying towards Azura, who couldn't believe what she was seeing. The scythe was alive, and it was about to kill her. Azura was a formidable fighter, but she was no match for Shinigami. Before long, her fire sword fell clattering on the ground, leaving her defenseless.

"No," she whispered.

With a quick swipe, Shinigami beheaded her. Blood squirted out like a fountain, painting the ground red.

BOOM! Azura Angelique, D4 girl, eliminated

"Deactivate Code Red," Cyan huffed, exhausted. The activation of Code Red had required tremendous energy. She won't be able to fight effectively any time soon.

"_Code Red: Deactivated."_

All of a sudden, the Shinigami's sensors beeped like crazy. "_We'll be expecting company soon Master."_

"Shit," Cyan cursed. She was much too tired to walk, much less fight. She might lose her life if a tribute was to attack in her current condition. "We gotta run. Now!"

Then came the ringing sound of metal slicing through air. There was a dull thud, as a knife embedded itself to a tree trunk beside Cyan. "I don't think so, Master of Weapons," drawled a voice that sent shivers run down Cyan's spine. The title she had been so proud of sounded like mockery coming out of the other girl's mouth. Alicia Carstairs, her jacket lined with an impressive array of throwing knives. "I'm afraid you'll be staying here, entertaining me."

* * *

**Does the story feel a little rushed? Sorry for that. **

**Special thanks to DauntlessClove for your much appreciated review. I'll try my best to include more information on the characters. :D**

**I'm going back to school next week, so update schedules will return back to normal -once a week. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Answers and responses for my reviewers: **

**King Gage- Sorry Drake had to die. At least he died knowing Savannah loves him too. The four remaining tributes are Cyan, Alicia, Fawn and Savannah.**

**CloveCarstairs- Hihihi. Sorry about that. **

**To Meep23 Fawn A. and R.I.P- A thousand thanks for your support! I love you guys!**

**FAN- Your support is much appreciated! And to answer your question, read on to find out...**

* * *

Cyan wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her palm. She was trying hard to stay calm, trying to find some means of escape. Alicia seemed to be taking her time, tossing one of her knives around in the air.

"Shinigami, what do you suppose we do?"

"_In your current condition Master, I suggest flight would be for the best. It would be hard, of course, for she has throwing knives. I will try hard to block out her attacks while you run, but judging from her wiry frame, I'm afraid her speed would be quite admirable."_

_"_Anything's welcome right now. All right, when I give the signal, I'll start running and you go and strap yourselves to my back."

Alicia yawned and stretched like a cat who found a patch of sunlight. "Shall we start then?" she asked calmly, as if they were having a conversation while having tea. Without any warning, she flipped open her jacket and slipped the hilts of four knives through the spaces between her fingers and threw it at Cyan's direction. All these she did at lightning speed, and Shinigami barely had time to cover Cyan. The knives fell with a clang.

There was no need for words; both the Master and the Scythe knew that was the signal. Cyan spun on her heels and started running as fast as her tired legs can carry her. Shinigami strapped itself to Cyan's back, just in time to block two more knives. "_Run Master!"_

"What," Cyan huffed, "do you think I'm doing?!"

Behind her, Alicia laughed as she ran, completely at ease. "Where are you going little birdie?" she called out in a sing song voice. She picked up her knives which had fallen on the ground and started throwing again. One escaped past Shinigami and whizzed past Cyan's head. She flinched and Shinigami gave a quick apology.

"Hey! That's a pretty sweet scythe you got! Mine's way better though!" The knives went flying. This time, one of them hit their target and nicked Cyan's leg. Cyan cried out, stumbling, but didn't stop. She couldn't afford to; stopping means certain death.

Every step hurt. And with every step, she grew even more tired. "Shinigami, what would happen if I activate another Code Red?"

"_No! I apologize but I will not consent to that one wish. It would mean death for you Master, what with your energy drained and all. I will not allow that to happen."_

_"_So to sum this up in a depressing nutshell, I am gonna die whether I activate it or not." Cyan spat. "What should we do then?!"

Silence.

"_We fight. That's all there is to it."_

Cyan smirked. "Yeah. I will not have a '_She went down without a fight'_ written on my tombstone!"

She skidded to a halt and faced Alicia, who widened her eyes in shock. "Why, little birdie, you surprise me! You actually have the guts to stop and fight!"

"Do not underestimate me, Eagle-Eyed One," Cyan snarled. "I am not a coward."

Cackling like a hyena, Alicia threw her knife up in the air and expertly caught the hilt using her teeth. Snatching three knives with intricate designs on their hilts from her belt, she spat out the one in her mouth. The tip of the blade sunk into the soft earth, as if stabbing the heart of an enemy. "Your 'courage' will be the end of you, fool. Let's get on with it then."

Cyan charged, yelling and Alicia threw her knives. Cyan dodged two of them and had Shinigami block the other one. She concentrated hard, trying to control the movements of the knives, but it was impossible. She was too tired. Already her limbs felt like they were made of lead. She must end this fight quickly, or she'll probably drop dead without Alicia having to do anything.

Cyan swung her scythe, a blow which Alicia dodged by bending 90 degrees backwards. Cyan cursed. The girl was a Career, alright. Quick as lightning, Alicia swung her arms, shoving Cyan to the ground. Within seconds, Alicia had the other girl pinned to the ground, punching her relentlessly. Cyan crossed her arms in front of her face, shielding it from Alicia's power-packed punches. Alicia then sucker-punched Cyan in the gut, the punch so powerful that Cyan started coughing out blood.

Shinigami was several feet away from where the two girls are, too far for Cyan to grab hold of it. It started shuddering, trying to return back towards its Master. But Cyan's energy reserve was low, too little for Shinigami to draw some of them to power itself up. Without Cyan's energy to support it, Shinigami was helpless.

Alicia jumped away from Cyan, who still lay on the ground, quite dazed. She then took two long strides and picked Shinigami up. Swinging it around, she laughed again, wiping the sweat off her head. "Look, little Master!" without another word, Alicia snapped the scythe in half.

"_NOOO!" _Cyan screamed hysterically, scrambling up. "What did you do you little-" here she said a word that would make her mom wash her mouth with soap for a whole year. She felt something snap inside of her, a string that bound her and Shinigami together, a string that she hadn't realized was there until now. There was a terrible hollowness somewhere in her heart. Shinigami's familiar humming in her mind had gone horribly quiet.

Alicia wore a mask of indifference. Calmly she took out her knives, taking advantage of Cyan's current state. Without Shinigami to cover for her, and she herself too full of grief to do anything, the knives hit their targets. One hit Cyan's left shoulder, another hit her stomach. Blood started flowing out, but Cyan doesn't seem to notice. She was covering her ears with her two hands, her cheeks stained with tears.

"What a pitiful sight to see." Alicia clucked her tongue. "Too bad I'm not one with compassion."

Two more stabs to Cyan's stomach. Screams.

"Demented and insane. I really should have gotten rid of her scythe sooner." Alicia started forward, about to finish Cyan off, and stopped. "She won't last long anyway. I'll just leave her here to die."

Alicia walked away, picking up her fallen knives, the tips still smeared with blood. Once again she thought of Silver. The way he held her hand so tightly while he took his last breaths, how his raven black eyes never left her face. Alicia leaned against the trunk of a tree, hugging herself. "_Two more steps. Two more steps and I'll be a victor. I won't let you down Silver."_

* * *

An hour later, there was another series of strangled screams. Fawn's. The katana wielding girl had stumbled upon Cyan, drowning in a pool of her own blood, her whole body convulsing. Fawn could only stare, and she hated herself for it. Before long, Cyan stopped twitching and the sound of a cannon being fired was heard.

BOOM! Cyan Wilder, D10 girl, eliminated.

_Three left. Just three left. _

_Where oh where, is our Mockingjay?_

* * *

**It's nearing the end, so bear with me guys! There will be a continuation, of course, but it's still much too early to think about that. **

**Review, Favorite and Follow! Much thanks to all those who have supported this story! (Especially the iDTCB people) **


	15. Chapter 15

**I am so, so, so sorry I didn't update last Friday! There was this Funfair thing going on, and right after that, I had like, a gazillion tests and quizzes. This will be a short chapter, because I didn't have time to make it any longer. **

* * *

_Katniss P.O.V_

"Peeta! 2 o'clock!" I screamed. He turned to that direction to shoot the incoming mutt dead, but underestimated the mutt's speed. Before the both of us knew it, the mutt had sunk its canine fangs to his ankle. Peeta howled in pain while I frantically fired my rifle. Five shots to the heart later, the mutt lay dead at Peeta's feet, in a pool of its own blood.

Rushing over to Peeta's side, I noted the conditions of my other teammates. Johanna had a long cut on her cheek where a mutt had slashed its claws across it. Nick and Reya, two of the elite guards assigned to accompany us, lay face-down a few feet away from where Peeta was. It was clear from the stillness of the bodies, the paleness of their faces and the ever-growing puddle of blood that they were gone.

"Stay still," I ordered. Peeta obliged willingly. I tore open the fabric to assess how severe the wound was, and blanched. Deep holes punctured the flesh, and blood was oozing out uncontrollably. The surrounding skin had turned a sickish purplish-blue, and the ankle itself had swollen to twice its normal size.

"Yikes," Peeta commented, turning a sickly shade of green. "I won't be walking for a while."

I worked furiously, bandaging the ankle tightly. "Alright now, we have to go," said, offering my hand. Peeta took it gladly, and used me as a support to help him stand up. I grunted at his weight, but didn't complain. He seemed to have heard it though, and tried his best to lessen the load he was placing on me.

Johanna jogged towards us, her cut no longer bleeding. "2 deaths and about 8 injured." She glanced over at Peeta's ankle. "Make that 9."

"We have to leave now. More might be coming." I looked around nervously, worried that another attack might come soon.

It had only been moments after I stalked away from the group when I heard a distant howl and the pounding footsteps of something big. Immediately I knew something was amiss. I didn't dare go any further, and took shelter in a tree where I hid and waited for the others to come.

They never did.

I heard rifles being shot and strangled screams of the wounded then, and knew the group must have been attacked. By what, I didn't know. Peeta was in trouble, and that was all I cared about.

It was chaos when I got there. Humans fighting against mutts. These mutts were different in a way. They moved with increased agility, speed and deadly grace. They had the body of an albino tiger and what looked like 9 bushy fox tails. Their teeth were too big for their jaws, and that resulted in them having a permanent gruesome sneer. I stood there, rooted to the ground as my instincts screamed for me to put as much distance from this place as possible, but the sound of Peeta's astonished yelp snapped me back to reality.

A mutt had sprang up on him and the both of them were now rolling on the floor, wrestling with each other. The mutt's talons were inches away from his face. i thought of shooting the mutt dead but decided against it; Peeta was too close, I might accidentally injure him. I sprinted towards them and kicked the mutt hard, sending it flying a few feet away. It lay sprawled on the ground, dazed, as if it couldn't make sense of what had just happened. Not wasting a single moment, I immediately aimed and fired my rifle more than ten times, until I was positive it was dead.

I turned around then, about to make sure Peeta was alright, when the mutt which had bitten Peeta's ankle came along.

"Earth to the Mockingjay!" Johanna snapped her fingers in front of my face, clearly annoyed. "Have you been listening to anything I've been saying for the past 5 minutes."

I looked down sheepishly.

She sighed exasperatedly. "I said, we're getting closer to Hazard's hideout, so it's best for us to _stick together as a group_."

"How far?"

She looked at a small device with grids and blinking red dots on the screen and replied, "100 metres."

Peeta looked around anxiously and lowered his voice down to a whisper. "Those mutts, I have a strong suspicion that they act as alarms to Hazard. To warn him of intruders."

I tensed up. Peeta's got a point. Looking over at Johanna's tense face, I knew she was thinking the same thing.

"Gather the others. Treat the wounded. We have to move as fast and as carefully as possible. There's no knowing what other traps await us."

_Third Person P.O.V, Org XII_

"sir, they passed through the mutts," Athena reported.

"Stronger than I expected, I see," Hazard mused. It had only taken Athena a few hours to find out that three of the remaining Victors and a bunch of Panem's most elite government soldiers were in a top secret mission to ambush their hideout. Hazard had laughed non-stop when he heard the plan. "Ambush _us?!_ Ridiculous! Amusing bunch of fools!" he had chuckled.

"should I set up any more traps, sir?"

"No, no!" Hazard dismissed that thought with a wave of his hand. "Let them come. They will serve as entertainments for us all.

"Especially helpless, little Mockingjay." He clucked his tongue. "Tell me Athena. Which do you think she'll choose? Saving her husband, or these children?"

* * *

**Cliffhanger endings. Don't you just love 'em? **


	16. Chapter 16

**It's like 12 a.m. here in Jakarta, Indonesia. And I'm updating my fanfic. **

**Responds to the reviewers:**

**To FalknerBlue - You mean Savannah right? I think you got the two mixed up haha.**

**To DauntlessClove - Yes there will be a sequel, hope you'll read it too!**

**To Ace - EXACTLY.**

**To TrueEricValdez - Is that the name of the fox demon from Naruto? If so then yes, the mutts were inspired from it. **

**Getting on with the story...**

* * *

Fawn kneeled down beside Cyan's corpse long after the cannon shot, her expression distant. A few moments later, a beep was heard, and the ground beneath Cyan's lifeless body opened up. Fawn gave a strangled gasp of surprise as she watched the other girl fall into the seemingly bottomless pit. What Hazard will do to the bodies of the tributes, she did not know, and she wasn't sure she wanted to either. It hadn't been long since she had parted ways with Savannah, and she was already starting to think it was a bad idea. Without someone to watch her back, she had to be alert of any incoming attacks at all times. No more sleeping in peace, no more sense of safeness.

With a shudder, she thought of what would happen if she died, and how exactly will she die? Will she be hunted down by the remaining tributes? Or will she get killed by a deadly trap set up by the Gamemakers? Will her death be swift and painless, or would it be long and torturous?

As she pondered on these questions, her mind drifted to the thought of committing suicide. This wasn't the first time she had considered the option, but she wasn't sure if it would be the last. It had somehow become a game for her, thinking of ways to die. A fatal blow from her katana to her sternum would do, but that would surely be painful. There was the option of starving herself, but unfortunately, she hasn't been one who's good at refusing food. In fact, she had tried the method once, during her 6 years of captivity in Hazard's hideout. Within three days, her body had reacted on its own and had grabbed the food (which consists only of water and stale bread) and started stuffing herself.

Of course, she could poison herself, but with what? She didn't know which plants are poisonous and which aren't. She hadn't paid much attention to Devious when she explained which plants to avoid and which are safe to eat.

Also, she feared for her family. The Gamemakers used to hate tributes commiting suicide, back when the Hunger Games was still there. She knew, because of the 'story-telling' time her elder sister used to hold especially for her. Once, a male tribute from District 3, committed suicide in the arena by stabbing himself through the heart. He used a stick that he had sharpened day and night. The Gamemakers were far from happy. To them, it was some sort of rebellion in itself, for the tributes to decide when or when not to die. So, they took out their anger on his family. Within a week after his death, his whole family had been wiped out, found dead in their house. The Capitol claimed that it had been an 'accidental' food poisoning, but the citizens of Panem knew. Knew that it was more than just an 'accident'. It was a warning.

Would Hazard take out his anger on her family too? She wasn't sure, but she sure wouldn't like to take the risk. Fawn then remembered another tale of another Hunger Games. The second last one in history. A female tribute from District 5 had foolishly eaten nightlock berries and killed herself. They say her hair was the colour of a fiery fox's fur, her facial features sharp and angled resembling that of a fox's and her eyes shine with cunning and slyness.

Except people don't think it was accidental. The girl was too smart, too witty. One would expect her to know which plants are edible and which aren't. Maybe she had also committed suicide, to escape a painful death by the sword of a fellow tribute. The girl knew that her family's lives were at stake, but had decided she didn't want to live any longer. So she feinted idiocy, and ate the berries. She was intelligent, even till the end.

"_Maybe I should follow her," _Fawn thought. "_I guess berries are my only choice." _She did remember Devious talking about steering clear of berries. She stood up, stumbling a little. Now she just needs to find a berry bush, and hope that it's a poisonous one.

After a half hour trek, she finally found a scraggly little bush with black coloured berries by the river bank. Inspecting them in the sunlight, she found that the insides were blood-red. Is this the famous nightlock berries that had caused the spark of rebellion to ignite? Whatever. She doesn't need to know. She held some in her hand, about to bring it up to her mouth when suddenly she felt a sharp pain on her shoulder. She cried out, the berries tumbling out of her palm. Something had stabbed her. With a twist of her body, she managed to reach the object and pulled it out of her shoulder blades. A dart.

Without warning, three more shoots out from somewhere behind her. Fawn, being too astonished, had no time to dodge. The darts buried themselves into her body. Fawn used her powers and shrank to the size of a mouse. Maybe this way, she could fool the darts into thinking she wasn't there. Somehow, she knew that these darts would never stop coming and will never hit her vital parts, so as to prolong her suffering.

She underestimated Hazard's creation. The darts still targeted her, and this time, they are two times bigger she is. Those berries, they're her only hope now. Quickly she scurried over to the berries that had rolled off her hand.

_Whoosh. _One of the darts missed her head by an inch. With a grunt, she caught the berry and wasted no time chomping into it. After finishing one whole berry, (remember, she's still the size of a mouse. So one whole berry is already quite big) she waited a while, waiting for the poison to take effect. When nothing happened, Fawn started panicking.

Maybe there was not enough poison? She rushed over to another berry, swerving to the side to dodge the humongous darts. 2 whole berries down, still nothing.

There was only one berry left on the ground. She scrambled to it, juice running down her mouth. With a start, she realized she was crying uncontrollably, whether from the shock, the confusion or the pain, she didn't know. She swallowed down the last bite and waited. 5 seconds, 10 seconds.

Nothing happened.

It took some time for the situation to dawn upon her. _These berries aren't poisonous. _Her knees gave way underneath her, and Fawn held her face on her hand. A dart flew straight and true towards her, and this time, she didn't bother to dodge.

BOOM! Fawn Albarn, District 12 Girl, eliminated

After the boom of the cannon, the sound of a trumpet being blown was heard. Both Alicia and Savannah, who were both still quite far from each other, jerked their heads up. The trumpet stopped, and Hazard's familiar voice was heard.

"Congratulations to our two finalists, Alicia Carstairs and Savannah White!" he boomed. "This is the final stage that will decide your fate. Now is the time to decide who wins and who loses. Now is the time to decide which one of you will _survive_. This is the fight to the death! Death Carnival, Final Stage Arena Mode, ACTIVATED!"

There was a rumble, and suddenly, the ground beneath them began to crumble.

* * *

**Another cliffhanger ending. **

**To Clove from iDTCB - I updatteeddddd**


	17. Chapter 17

**Responses to my reviewers:**

**Ace - Thanks for that. Your overly attentive eyes are pretty useful. Oh, and I don't regret killing you in the most gruesome way possible at all! :)**

**A Reviewer: Purely coincidental. Didn't even notice it until you told me!**

**Millz: Thanks!**

**Meep23: Here you go then!**

**Lya200: Sorry Cyan (she's the one with the scythe) had to die.. :(**

**FalknerBlue: Go Dravannah!**

**DauntlessClove: Fingers crossed!**

* * *

"Shit we lost another one!" one the shoulders, Henri, cursed.

"That means they have entered the Finals. Who knows what kind of torturous death awaits the other two?" Johanna said, to no one in particular, bitterly.

"Hey guys," I called over my shoulders, disbelief clear in my voice. "Do my eyes deceive, or is that a hut I see?" I pointed towards the run-down hut that was partly made out of wood and straw. It looked deserted, like no one's been living there for years.

Peeta limped over to my side. "Weird. One would expect for Hazard and his crew to have a mansion full of state-of-the-art weapons and technology. Maybe this isn't the right place?"

"Unless of course, this is a trap," I took a tentative step forward, the haunting memories of Boggs' death suddenly appearing in my mind. We hadn't been careful then, and look where that had gotten us. Me, not being able to do anything but stare as the life seeped out of him.

We trudged down the dusty ground carefully, and finally reached the door. I signaled for my team mates to cover me, as I kicked the door open.

Nothing. Not even a piece of furniture.

I gave an exasperated sigh before turning to Henri. "Are you sure we're at the correct place?"

He double-checked the device he was carrying. The screen showed a big red dot surrounded by several other white dots. It was vibrating like crazy. "The white dots are us. And the red dots are what we're after," he explains.

"So we must be in the correct place," Johanna states matter-of-factly. "Now get a move on everyone! Or else our mission will change from saving the children to retrieving dead bodies!"

I cringed at her words but I had to admit, she had a point. There were only 2 remaining survivors.

We stepped in cautiously, guns ready to be fired at a moment's notice. Henri raked his hand through his jet black hair, tousling it. "I really don't think there's anything here. Maybe the Sensor is broken?" he took another step forward, and that was when he stumbled on something. There was a snap, and I only had time to cry out, "Oh!" before I found myself free-falling into a realm of darkness.

* * *

_Third Person P.O.V, The Games_

The very earth was quaking, strong enough to throw Savannah off her feet. As she scrambled up to a crouching position, she saw that the arena had been split into two equal parts, and the area around the two border lines were crumbling down.

Unfortunately, she was in a particularly crumbly area.

Without a moment's hesitation, she was off running towards the other direction, never slowing down. She knew it would be a foolish action to just stay put or climb a tree. The only thing she could do now was to get to a safe place as soon as possible; that and hope she's faster than the rate of crumbling. After a while, she realized that the rumbling had stopped. Savannah slowed down, turning her head around to check. Sure enough, the ground had stopped quaking and crumbling down.

She sighed, relieved, sure that would be the last of the trouble.

She couldn't be more wrong.

Like there was some unimaginably strong magnetic force, the two borderlines (which were now quite far away from each other) started pulling themselves together. The force was so strong that the arena jerked violently, and this time, Savannah fell flat on her face. She felt a sharp burst of pain, and then a trickle down her nose. Blood. Wiping it away with the back of her hand, she grabbed hold of the trunk of a particularly colossal tree.

Her mind whirred, trying to make sense of the events unfolding before her very eyes. She then realized what Hazard was trying to do. Decrease the area of the arena, so the two remaining tributes can't stay very far from each other. She smiled dryly. It was a clever plan, one that ultimately forces her to fight Alicia.

"_I won't fail you, Drake."_

* * *

Alicia wasn't exactly proud of how she landed unceremoniously on her bum when the arena was separated into two. And then there was the scrambling away, tripping on the roots of the undergrowths, while the ground started crumbling away. Even when that stopped, she didn't let her guard down, for she knew Hazard was hatching a plan that she can't figure out yet, but it clearly wasn't completed yet. She was proven right when the two borderlines started pulling themselves together. This time, she was ready and didn't lose her balance.

Alicia narrowed her eyes. '_I see,' _she thought silently to herself. '_A ploy to get us together and fight to the death. It's a clever plan, Mr Hazard, I'll give you that.'_

She was undeterred. A smaller arena means it'll be easier for her to hunt down the remaining tribute. Who is it anyway? Alicia recalled the faces of the 26 tributes and matched them up with the faces of the dead that had been flashed in the sky some time during the week. Ahh, she remembered now. The girl with the bow and arrows, the Katniss wannabe. Savannah White.

After a while, the two borderlines stuck together. The only evidence to show that it was once separated was a thin, jagged line that runs through the diameter of the entire arena, where the two borderlines met again. Alicia, with her velvet thread, prowled silently, crossing the line. The Eagle, hunting for her prey.

_'I won't fail you, Silver!'_

* * *

_Katniss P.O.V_

I was bound and gagged, strapped tightly to a chair. Looking around frantically for Peeta, I found him a few feet away from me, also in my current state. He had a dark purple bruise on his forehead, and his injured ankle hangs awkwardly. Where is the rest of my team? And on top of that, where exactly are we?

Grunting and squirming in my chair, I tried to break free, or at least work the dirty cloth gagging my mouth off.

"I wouldn't waste my energy doing that," a familiar voice rumbled from a distance. "Zeus is the master in tying knots."

Hazard.

I growled viciously, but it was hard to sound threatening with a cloth stuffed into your mouth. Hazard gestured towards Peeta. "He's still unconscious, huh? Well he did knock his head pretty hard. I won't be surprised if he has a concussion."

A tiny burst of panic flared in my chest. I looked around frantically, trying to find some means of escape. I need to get to Peeta, and I need to get to him now.

"LEF MMH MO!" Okay, this gag is really bothersome.

Hazard clunked himself in the head, and cried out dramatically, "Oh, where are my manners?! Gagging a woman like this! Devious, free her of the gag!"

"Right away, sir," obeyed Devious, who apparently was standing behind me so quietly that I didn't notice her at all. I jumped a little, quite surprised, and was rewarded with a snicker from Devious. She ripped the gag off; none too gently at that.

"LET ME GO!" I repeated. "And where are the rest?! What have you done to them?!"

Hazard inspected his nails, a bored expression on his face. "I'm sorry to disappoint you but, I'm afraid I won't be able to let you go. And to answer your questions, take a look at this."

The light suddenly flickered on, which caused me to blink rapidly to adjust to the light after being in the dark for so long. I screamed when I saw the terrible sight.

Each member of my team was unconscious, bruised and bloodied. They had been locked in a humongous metal cage, like the ones usually used for caging wild animals, only 10 times bigger. I can just make out Johanna's pale face, her dark hair matted with fresh blood.

"What did you do to them?!" I screamed, struggling harder to break free. I could feel my tears welling up in my eyes, but I held them back. I refuse to cry in front of them.

Hazard looked up from his nails and answered suavely, "That? That's nothing compared to the torture they'll experience later if you do not cooperate."

It was as if there was a balloon inside my chest that was expanding with every passing second, making it hard for me to breathe. "W-what do you want me to do?" I choked out, staring him down.

"It's simple really. Leave the two kids. Go back to Paylor and tell her your mission failed. And I also need you to be my double agent. I want you to feed me with classified information, military tactics, the President's background and schedule, and well, you get the picture. Easy enough?"

I swallowed back my fear. "And what would you do, if I don't agree?"

"Another simple question. Let me show you. Devious, please bring Mr Henri McRiver here."

Devious, though she was slim, had the strength of an ox. She dragged a half-conscious Henri across the room effortlessly with one hand, then dumped him down in front of Hazard's feet. Hazard held out his hand, and Devious took out the knife that was strapped to her belt.

"Watch."

With that, he raised his arm and brought the knife down, right into Henri's left eye. Henri, now undoubtedly wide awake, shrieked in pain, clutching at his left eye. A wave of nausea crashed over me and I couldn't help but turn my head to the side and vomited all over the floor.

Hazard didn't stop there. He had Devious pin Henri down, while he stabbed him over and over again. Hazard showed no mercy, even though Henri screamed until his voice was cracked and hoarse. He didn't stop, until at last, Henri stopped twitching on the blood covered floor. During that time, I would occasionally hear a high pitched scream, which I highly suspect was me. I don't know what to believe, what to do anymore. The sight of Henri's lifeless body, his guttural screams still resounding in my ears; it was all too much for me to handle.

I passed out.


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry this one came out a bit late!**

**And Ace, thanks for all that info. Really helpful. I promise to get all the details right in my next stories.**

* * *

Alicia immediately whipped around when she heard the rustle and her knives went flying from her hand to the dense bushes. A shriek emanated from whatever poor creature had been struck down. Alicia clucked her tongue, clearly annoyed and disappointed. It's just a possum, its head lolled to the side, taking quick dying breaths. Though her food supply was getting low, Alicia decided to leave the rodent, for she thought eating them was way too disgusting. Squirrels and rabbits will do; possums are just.. No.

She continued her trek, fingers never losing their grip on her throwing knives. This other girl, her ticket to getting out of this place, she's one good hider. Though she never failed to scan her surroundings using her heightened sight, she had not once caught sight of Savannah. Not once.

Suddenly, a slot opened up underneath. Alicia jumped back in time to avoid falling into it. Slowly, a huge, spotlessly white box ascended up, stopping just in front of her. She sniffed at it suspiciously, and decided against opening the lid; for all she knew, there might be a mutt lying in wait for her. Then a voice boomed from the skies up ahead. The clear blue sky disappeared, replaced by Hazard's sneering face.

"Finalists! Listen up!" he called out. "Both of you have a huge white box placed in front of you. This box is one of 2 things, a blessing or a curse. 2 boxes, 2 different contents. One of the box holds countless weapons and supplies necessary for you to survive. Now the other box holds a 10 foot long serpent that Daedalus has personally created in that lab of his. Don't worry, the serpent won't kill you; I want you guys to kill each other, and having the snake kill you off kinda defeats that purpose. So no, it won't kill you, but not killing doesn't mean not hurting. The serpent will just chase you around until it has you in its jaws and it'll drag you to where the other tribute is. And then there you go, a bloody mess, while your contender gazes down at you, weapon in hand, fully replenished by her newly attained supplies. And that, my dears, will be the end of you."

Hazard took a deep breath, clearly out of breath after describing their death scenario in detail. "Now it's not a must for you to open that box. I'm just saying, I'll be draining all the rivers and pools in the jungle and stopping the rain. I might even get rid of all the animals. The temperature will greatly increase during the day and decrease during the night. Remember, exposure can kill just as easily as a knife, so those supplies would be a big help. Then again, maybe dehydration is better than getting dragged by a 10 foot long serpent in its jaws. The choice is yours to make, finalists. And if you choose to open it, then may the odds be _ever _in your favour."

_"I swear, that quote is the bane of my existence," _Alicia grumbled in her head.

With that, he signed off, the sky returning back to normal, as if his face had never been projected there before. The projection had shown Alicia just how small the arena had become; a measly one-third of its original size. Then why hadn't she caught sight of Savannah yet?

Whatever. She had bigger things to worry about.

She placed her hands tentatively on the top of the box, shivering a little when her skin made contact with the cool surface. Should she take the risk? Those supplies would be great, what with Hazard draining all the water and getting rid of all the animals.

Then again, that senile jerk-face had a point; it's better to die of dehydration than coming face to face with the serpent. She scolded herself immediately after she thought that. What was she thinking? She's a Career for goodness' sake. Careers are strong, confident, born to win; certainly not some cowardly pip-squeak afraid of a mutt. The words her father had once burned into her head back in her younger days resurfaced, throbbing in her head.

**_Harden up. You are a weakling if you're afraid. Always remember that the weak perishes, and the strong survives. _**

"_I'll show you,"_ she whispered, her voice steeled with determination. She was Alicia Carstairs, daughter of Alexander Carstairs the Great, and 'weak' is NOT in her dictionary.

With that, she bit the hilts of three of her knives, and gripped another three in her left hand. Just in case it really is a mutt. She took a deep breath, then swung the lid open.

* * *

Savannah didn't want anything to do with that box. She didn't even want to go near it; she put a distance of 5 metres between herself and the box. She was in two minds about opening it; those supplies would be great, but the serpent chewing on her part? Forget it. She was worried though. She had less than a litre of water left in her plastic bottle, and the nearest water hole is around 3 miles away. It'll take a long time to get there, and by then Hazard would've drained it anyway. There was also the problem of the arena getting reshaped. There's no telling what kind of changes Hazard had done to the place.

Maybe she should take her chances on the box.

Face wearing a mask of determination mixed with fear, Savannah crouched down and placed her ear on the side of the box, gulping nervously as she tried to make out a sound; an inhuman growl, the clacking of teeth, anything.

There was nothing. Either this box is soundproof or it's the supplies box. Or the serpent's being real quiet so it'll catch her off guard. Savannah ruffled her hair in frustration. She tried knocking the box softly on the side, but there was no response.

It's clear now that the only way to find out what's inside it is to open it. Savannah placed her right palm on the lid, her other hand gripping tight to the bow. "Alright, it's now or never."

Savannah swung the lid open so hard, it creaked on its hinges, threatening to break apart. Savannah jumped back a few steps, explosive arrows ready to fly if a serpent should come out. 5 seconds, 10 seconds passed. Nothing jumped out. Not even a flicker of shimmering scales or a pink, wet forked tongue.

Could it be?

Was she really this lucky?

Savannah took a step forward, trying to be as quiet as possible, arrows still strung to her bow. Another step, and another. When she was finally close enough, she tip-toed, and peered inside.

Rows upon rows of different types of arrows, knives of all shapes and sizes, water bottles filled to the brim and saltine crackers. Savannah blinked, trying to process this thought. The odds had been in her favour.

She had gotten the supplies.

**_She had actually gotten the supplies_**.

Savannah was so happy she squealed loudly before she realized where she was and clasped her mouth shut using her hand. If the supplies were with her, then that must mean the mutt was in the other box. She wondered what happened to poor Alicia. Had she opened it yet?

As if on cue, a thunderous inhuman roar was heard, along with the cracking sound of several tree trunks being snapped at once. This was followed by the unmistakable scream of a girl.

Alicia had let the beast loose. That means the serpent will eventually slither here, a wounded Alicia in its jaws. A wave of nausea crashed down upon her, but she fought it down. She had to be ready. Alicia was strong, one of the strongest Careers. She might well fight and kill off the serpent. All Savannah can do now is wait and replenish herself. And plan.

She had gotten this far. She wasn't planning on losing after all that.

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**Do review, follow and favourite! **


	19. Chapter 19

**This chapter's purely Alicia's POV. **

**Enjoy, and for all those rooting for Alicia, be proud; she's one hell of a survivor.**

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The force exerted by the serpent was so immense that it threw Alicia a few feet away. She gave a sharp cry of pain as her head hit the ground, a sharp stone cutting her forehead, drawing blood. Rolling to a stop, she quickly turned around and started sprinting. No time to waste. The gargantuan serpent was still trying to slither out of its confinements, which means she has less than a minute head start.

Powered by adrenaline, anger and disappointment at Hazard for giving her the mutt, she ran full speed ahead, never looking back. Her mind whirred furiously as she tried to think up of a plan to outsmart the serpent and kill it. But this was Daedalus' creation. Killing it won't be so easy.

She heard the trunks of countless trees snapping like twigs under the weight of the serpent. Would hiding be any good? No, it'll probably smell her blood trickling from the countless cuts and track her down. She heaved in huge gulps of air, her body quickly using up what little energy she had, though never slowing down. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer, but in her current state, flight seemed like a better option than fight.

At that moment, the serpent gave a bloodcurdling roar, and gave a powerful flick of its tail. Alicia didn't expect this at all, and had no time to dodge the attack. The scaly tail connected with her body and before she could say anything, she found herself flying and crashing into a tree. Coughing out spurts of blood, she felt around her body to check how bad her injuries are. Her hand sent a wave of agony when it came into contact with her ribs, and she shrieked, not caring that she sounded like a weakling. Pain tore through her like a series of toxic explosions, and she was tempted to flee into darkness. No, that won't do. She'll surely die if she was to pass out now.

Her ribs were definitely broken. Grabbing hold of a low-hanging branch, she heaved herself up. It felt like a billion pounds of dynamite exploded in her ribs.

_Harden up._

Alicia fought to steady her breathing, black spots already dancing in her vision. It won't be long before the serpent caught up to her now. Head still spinning, she decided she would climb the tree (no matter how agonizing), and jump onto the serpent's back when the time's right. She just hoped she still had her rodeo skills with her. Then again, she trained using bull dummies with Zeus, not a 50 feet serpent.

The climb was torturous. It felt like living metal staples were running through her insides, pricking and scratching with their little sharp points. She gave up after a while, trying to convince herself that she was high enough anyway. Now all she had to do was hide and wait for the serpent.

As if on cue, the serpent came lumbering about. Alicia got a good look of the serpent for the first time since she released it, and boy, was she disgusted. It was black and yellow in colour, covered in scales. It left a trail of green slime behind it, and judging from the wilted plants that was unlucky enough to have crossed path with it, the substance was far from good. Several spikes jutted out from its upper side, so big and sharp it would have skewered a cow. And then there was its swollen head that was slightly too big for its body. Red eyes, huge jaws, countless fangs. What disturbed her most were its _ears._ Floppy and mud brown in colour, it looked like the ears of a beagle, except these were covered with scales instead of fur.

Alicia shuddered, as the serpent neared, inspecting its surroundings with those bulging red eyes. "_Well, it's now or never."_

With a determined cry, she jumped, falling through thin air. The serpent made a strangled sound of surprise; clearly, it wasn't expecting a bloody flying girl. Distracted, it didn't react until Alicia landed right at the top of its head, gripping onto its ears for dear life. The far-from-smooth landing had sent new pain blossoming in her ribs again, fresh and raw. She bit her tongue hard, stopping herself from crying out. She mustn't show weakness at a time like this.

The serpent wasn't happy to have its ears pinched. It flailed about, even tried rolling around (though the spikes prevented it from doing so; thankfully for Alicia, or she would've been crushed for sure), but no matter what it did, Alicia wouldn't let go. Frustrated, it stopped its attempts and sat silently for a while, clearly trying to decide what to do with the little rascal.

Alicia herself was having a hard time. The scales were slick and slippery, as if they were coated with oil. Her feet couldn't find a good grip (they kept slipping), so she had no choice but to hold on real tight to the floppy beagle-ears. She couldn't take her knives, as she didn't want to risk letting go of the ear and falling down. If she was to hold up her entire weight, she was going to need both her hands. What would she do with the knife once she got it anyway? A mere stab won't kill it. The only thing left to do now was hope the serpent would send her nicely to Savannah.

After contemplating the pros and cons of sending Alicia to Savannah, the serpent decided to do it. Anything to get the girl off it. It travelled fast, but it wasn't very careful. Several times Alicia almost hit her head against branches, not to mention the bruises and cuts she got from the twigs.

After what seemed like an eternity, they reached a clearing. In the middle of it stood the same type of white box that held the mutt, though this time, it was filled with supplies and weapons. Savannah must have been here. Where she was now, Alicia didn't know, but that was the least of her worries. The serpent had stopped, making short, high-pitched hisses, as if telling her to hurry up and get off it already. Should she try jumping down? The impact might worsen her rib's condition, but what else can she do? Sliding off would be too dangerous, as it involved going near the serpent's jaws; it looked ready to eat her up.

Well, she guessed she could try stretching out her hand to reach a nearby branch or something. Her eyes darted from side to side. The nearest branch is to her left, around 3 feet away_. "I'll try jumping. If I fall and die, then so be it."_

So be it.

Connecting her feet with the back of the serpent's head, much to it's annoyance, she pushed hard, gaining momentum. She let go of the ears and stretched out her hands. Her fingertips had just grazed the side of the branch when gravity started acting on her. Frantically, she reached out and grabbed hold of the branch with her right hand. Unfortunately, it started cracking, unable to support her weight. With a kick, she swung herself hurriedly to another thicker branch, just when the branch snapped into two and fell to the ground.

Alicia looked up, only to be greeted with one of the serpent's bulging red eyes, staring her down.

* * *

**(A/N) **

**I'm having troubles deciding who should be crowned victor. **

**Who are you voting for? Savannah or Alicia? **

**Do tell me your choice. A pm or a review would be fine. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Thank you all for voting! The official face-off will begin next chapter.**

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Alicia didn't dare do anything, knew it was the right choice not to. Her fingers inched their way to the hilts of the knives hidden in her jacket, careful not to make any sudden movements and startle the serpent.

The serpent's forked tongue flickered out, slimy and a sickly purple. It made no move to attack whatsoever, but it didn't go away either. Hazard did command it to drag Alicia to Savannah, inflicting as much injury on her as possible without killing her. Said girl then ruined the plan, riding on the serpent like it was a horse, clinging on to its ears. The serpent knew Savannah was there, hiding behind a few of those trees that grew closely together –it could clearly smell her scent. It had successfully delivered Alicia to her, so its work was done, wasn't it?

The stare down went on for a few more seconds, before the slimy creature decided it was none too keen on getting stabbed by one of those knives hidden underneath Alicia's jackets (yes, it can see them) and slithered away.

Alicia let out a shaky breath, and winced –her ribs still hurt a lot. This won't do. If she was to win the fight with Savannah, she was going to need to fix those ribs. Alicia eyed the open white box at the centre of the clearing. Though it was a little over 15 meters away from where she was, her heightened sight allowed her to see a set of huge syringes containing some kind of a green liquid kept in a ziplock bag. A sticker was stuck on the outer surface of the bag, with the words "**Treatment for Broken Bones"** printed in bold, black ink.

Perfect.

Without a moment's hesitation, she started climbing down, knowing full well that this might be her last few moments on earth.

* * *

_Savannah, moments before the serpent and Alicia arrived in the clearing_

There was some pretty good stuff inside the box. The first thing Savannah did was draining a bottle of water in 5 gulps. She hadn't realized how thirsty she'd been. Next, she started chewing tiny bits of roasted chicken, and a few mouthfuls of apple and bananas. She knew it wasn't wise to chomp down everything at once; it'll just come back out again. Her stomach had shrunk to the size of a nut anyway, and she couldn't handle anything more than that.

Once she was sated, she went ahead and experimented with the other stuffs in the box. She changed her bow to a new one, this time emerald green in colour, with intricate silver designs decorating its upper and lower limbs. Savannah had lost some arrows during her fight with Marvel, so it was a relief to feel the added weight of more arrows in her leather pouch strung to her back. In case of emergencies, she also strapped a short hunting knife to her belt. She had a feeling it would come in handy later on.

Something silver caught Savannah's eye. It was a bead bracelet the colour of the moon, with the addition of several specks of sapphire blue dots on every bead. Strange, why would Hazard send _accessories? _Fashion can't be _that _important, especially in a life and death situation. There must be something special about this.

There were no labels or stickers that gave instructions on how to use the bracelet. So, Savannah did the most obvious thing first; she slid the bracelet on her right wrist. Immediately she felt a tingle, followed by a searing pain that caused her to cry out, more to shock than pain. Instinctively, her left hand shot out and she tried pulling the bracelet off, but to her horror, it wouldn't budge. The pain deepened, as if someone was roasting her hand over a flame. Biting her tongue to prevent herself from shrieking, Savannah grabbed hold of a sharp piece of rock and was just about to bring it down on the bracelet when the pain stopped abruptly.

The beads opened up, pieces of gears and metal shooting out of the openings. They connected together to form a flat, disc-shaped object the size of a table. A shield. Savannah actually had to squint to see it, as it might as well be invisible, it being completely transparent and all. '_Alicia would never expect this_,' Savannah thought gleefully. She found herself thanking Hazard, the action repulsing her so much she wanted to puke.

A few seconds after that, she heard the hissing sound of the serpent, along with the grunts of the obviously injured Alicia. Grabbing hold of her bow and her quiver of arrows, she sprinted to the trees, and hid.

* * *

_Savannah, after serpent has left_

Alicia didn't come as wounded as Savannah thought she would be –as expected of one of the top Careers. She did notice that the other girl wheezed a little too loudly, and she winced whenever her hand grazed her chest. Savannah guessed that it was a broken rib, but the wound must've not been fatal, or else she would've not been able to walk by now.

She found herself wishing Alicia had a punctured lung, and immediately felt guilty about it. The mere thought of killing someone, even if it's an act of self-defense, haunts her, and she wondered how she would handle the situation. The fight is inevitable, not to mention the death of one of them.

Just as she was thinking this, she noticed Alicia climbing down the tree, painstakingly slow. The rib must be restricting her. Savannah was bewildered; wouldn't hiding in the trees and throwing her knives at her from a distance be safer? What could she possibly be thinking?

It wasn't until Alicia reached the box that Savannah realized what she was doing. Of course! There were the supplies she had gotten from Hazard, and he knew there was something brewed in Daedalus' lab that can be used to treat broken bones. The broken ribs were a big advantage to Savannah, and she was bound to keep it that way.

Without hesitation, she shot off one of her arrows . Alicia noticed however, and dived out of the way before it could hit her. Savannah cursed; the girl's fast. The sudden dive clearly hurt Alicia though, as seen from her deathly pale face. Alicia was up and running again within seconds. Another arrow flew, and this time, it hit Alicia, just as her hand grabbed hold of the ziplock bag. Alicia didn't have time to fully dodge the arrow, but her sudden jerk to the side was enough for her to avoid a fatal wound. Alicia bit down on her lower lips as she pulled the arrow out of her shoulder, blood immediately gushing out.

Alicia had dropped the packet of syringes when she was hit, and now she scrambled along for it. Savannah pulled out one of her poison arrows and released. Alicia dropped to the ground, arrow whizzing past her hair.

Savannah was getting frustrated. She had never missed this many times before; either she was out of practice or Alicia is just really good at dodging. She pulled out an explosive arrow, strung it to her bow and was just about to let it fly when she hesitated. It was a dangerous move, for the explosion caused by the arrow usually covered a 5 mile radius. The last time she shot an explosive one during the Training Years, she got hurt so badly she could only lie down on the uncomfortable clinic bed, groaning for a week. She still had the scars to remind her of it.

Explosive arrows were harder to shoot, for they don't go nearly as far as normal arrows. That's why she would always be in the danger area, if she was to hit the target.

Alicia was only a few steps away from the syringes. Scowling, Savannah let the arrow fly, and immediately turned around and sprinted as far away as possible. Seconds later, she heard a deafening boom, followed by an intense heat that scorched her back. The force of the explosion was so strong it threw her several feet back. Savannah hit the ground hard, and she lay there sprawled in an awkward position for a few moments before a thought hit her. The shield!

She felt the familiar tingle on her wrist and then the shield popped up , providing her with welcomed shelter from the inferno.

Guilt tore at her heart, gnawing at it. What had become of Alicia? Savannah didn't know, didn't dare look back. Not just yet.

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**Just an update, Savannah currently has more votes than Alicia, but the polls are still open, so it's not final yet. **


	21. Chapter 21

**This one's quite a short chapter. Bear with me guys, we're nearing the end.**

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Alicia saw the label on the arrow; saw Savannah's hesitation at shooting it. She had to get to those syringes fast, and then escape from the soon-to-come explosion immediately. The serpent had left a slimy trail, overturning rocks and trees. One such rock had been overturned and now formed the shape of a C. It was big enough to provide shelter from the inferno, though Alicia wasn't sure if it would hold and not crumble from the heat.

Savannah released the arrow just when her hand gripped hold of the packet. Immediately she sprinted towards the rock, concentrating only on not getting burnt alive. She was about 5 meters away when she slipped on the unfortunately extra slippery slime. The packet fell with a thud and the contents started spilling out, the syringes rolling away. There wasn't any time.

Alicia grabbed the nearest syringe, scrambling towards the rock, diving behind it just as the arrow hit its target.

* * *

The heat was intense –it felt like being boiled alive. Alicia prayed fervently for the safety of the rock that protected her, hoped that it will hold long enough until the fire died down. She had to tuck her hair into her jacket to avoid it getting blown by the wind into the flames. That would be horrible.

She used the time to inspect the lone syringe she had salvaged. There was a sticker there that read, "Minimum of 2 syringes for maximum result." Alicia's face fell, as she cursed herself for dropping the syringes. Her ribs won't be fully cured with just one syringe; but it'll have to do.

Sucking in a deep breath, she bit her lips, and then jammed the needle into her ribs. She felt nothing at first, just a tinge of numbness that spread from her ribs to her entire body. Then came the burning sensation of her insides getting scorched. Alicia doubled over, wanted nothing more than a jug full of ice-cold water to douse the growing fire inside her.

The pain soon passed, replaced by a welcomed cool sensation. Alicia touched her ribs gingerly –and winced. It still hurts, but the pain was tolerable.

Alicia gritted her teeth, face already set with deadly determination. It's time for the final face-off.

Savannah coughed, wiping the ashes off her grime-covered face. She opened her eyes and turned to the direction where she last saw Alicia, unsure of what she expected to see –a badly burnt body perhaps? Instead, she saw said girl rapidly advancing towards her, eyes blazing with rage. Quick as lightning, Alicia sent two of her knives flying. The attack came so suddenly, Savannah only had time to cry out an 'Oh!' If it wasn't for the shield that sprang up without her needing to activate it, she would have been skewered by now.

Interesting. So sudden attacks trigger the shield's activation system. This shield is proving to be an immensely useful item.

Ahead, Alicia was scowling after having seen what Savannah's new accessory turned out to be. Savannah grimly noticed that the other girl now moved with increased grace and agility; something she wouldn't have been able to do with badly broken ribs. She must have gotten the cure after all. But there was still something off. Alicia winced occasionally, when she moved too fast or jumped around.

Savannah let loose another two of her arrows, one after the other, though not in the same direction. She knew Alicia would have dodged the first one, and would dive to the left side, like she always does. That was why Savannah used a poison arrow as her second one. If she was to kill her opponent, she would make it quick, and hopefully, as close to painless as possible.

Just as she let her second arrow fly, she saw Alicia's eyes widened, and she rolled to the right, hence missing both arrows. Never missing a beat, she then counterattacked and let her knife fly. The shield blocked it, but it gave her just enough time to aim for Savannah's back and threw another knife. Savannah jerked to the side, but was too slow. Though the knife didn't hit her spine like how Alicia wanted it to, it burrowed deep into her shoulder.

It felt as if an ancient torture device was used on her, driving nails into her shoulder. Savannah wanted to assess her injury, but Alicia gave her no time for that. Before she knew it, said girl had crashed on top of her, pinning her to the ground. Savannah struggled to break free, but the other girl was much stronger and heavier than her, and her grip was like iron.

"You," Alicia spat out the word accusingly, "I've long waited for this moment. You're gonna be my ticket out of this hell."

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**Polls end this Sunday! Thanks all for voting!**

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	22. Chapter 22

***Drum rolls* **

**Here goes nothing... Enjoy...**

* * *

Alicia swung her arm then, her elbow connecting to the Savannah's ear. Savannah cried out, more to shock than pain. Why wait any longer? Alicia could've killed her easily by now.

Alicia saw her bewildered expression and laughed. "Wondering why I haven't killed you yet?"

Savannah couldn't help but nod slowly, quite baffled.

"I need to give the audience a good show, don't I?" Alicia sneered. Savannah couldn't help but scrunch up her face in disgust. Didn't she know she was only a pawn in Hazard's little game, just like all the other tributes in all 75 Hunger Games? How could she care about something as trivial as giving the audience a good show? Doesn't she feel the icy tendrils of guilt clawing at her heart after taking the life of another?

Savannah felt a pang of pity for the girl laughing maniacally in front of her, wondered what terrible things had she went through during her childhood, wondered who had turned her heart into ice and shattered it into pieces.

Alicia had her knife in one hand now, throwing it around in the air and catching it effortlessly without harming herself. Savannah feared Alicia would miss and the knife would stab her right in the eye, so she couldn't help but flinch whenever the blade came too close.

Savannah felt like she had been doused by a bucket of ice cold water, quenching the embers of hope that was still flickering weakly inside her. She knew her chances of escape were getting slimmer with every passing second. Despite all that, the gears in her brain still turned, as she desperately tried to think up of an escape plan. She hoped her expression didn't betray what she was feeling inside.

Savannah gave a sharp cry of pain when she felt the cool blade slice the skin on her cheek. Alicia had decided to start. "That was for Silver," she whispered. Her eyes were distant, her expression pained. Whatever memories she had regarding said person must have been painful. But what could Savannah have possibly done for her to deserve such torture?

Another slice. Savannah whimpered. "For killing him, you jerk," Alicia snarled. That statement clearly sent Savannah into confusion. Killed Silver? She didn't even know who the guy was! She had only taken the life of one person, and that was Maver's. And soon, possibly, Alicia's.

"I don't know who he is Alicia, you've got the wrong person," Savannah said with conviction, though wishing her voice didn't tremble so much. Alicia's eyes cleared, and she blinked rapidly, as if coming out of a daydream. Her hold on Savannah lessened, and Savannah used Alicia's distraction to her advantage and shoved her off.

Alicia landed on her back, her right elbow propped up beneath her for support. She was shaking her head vigorously, as if trying to get rid of a horrible thought. Her eyes had gone wild with shock, and possibly fear. It was as if Alicia had turned into a rabid animal.

Savannah didn't just stand there gaping at Alicia; she sprinted to where her bow had flung off to when Alicia had tackled her. Her arrows had been scattered all over the place, and there was no way she could collect them all in time. Alicia would break out of her reverie soon enough.

Just as she thought that, Alicia's head snapped up. She still had that wild rabid look, but she was still sane enough to remember that the Carnival isn't over yet. That she had another prey to kill.

Savannah was mistaken to have thought that Alicia's knife supply was infinite. In fact, it had dwindled to 5, each blade seemingly made out of titanium, so elegantly built it was almost beautiful. Almost, if it wasn't for the fact that they would be used to kill her. She saw Alicia's hesitation at throwing them, saw her eyes flitting to the destroyed supplies box to see if there were any extra knives left. But the box was about 10 metres away from where the girls are, and Alicia knew that, with her bow and arrows, Savannah had the upper advantage.

Savannah had managed to pick up 8 arrows and placed them in the leather pouch strung to her back. She had tried to steer clear of the explosive arrows; the last one had been disastrous. She now shot off her poison arrow, aiming for Alicia's chest. With her quick reflexes though, Alicia dodged it effortlessly, rolling to the side and coming up kneeling on one knee before she gave an attack of her own. Savannah tilted her head to the side, the knife barely missing her ear. Blood still trickled down the wounds on her cheek, but she paid no attention to them.

Ahead, Alicia was sprinting full speed towards her. She seemed to have realized that her best chance against Savannah was fighting close-ranged. Her knives could handle both short and long-distances, but Savannah's arrows could only handle long distances. Savannah started shooting more arrows. One had somehow found its way to Alicia's left palm, and Alicia had to pull it out to assess the damage done. This allowed for another arrow to burrow itself to Alicia's left shoulder. The two wounds weren't lethal, unfortunately, but it did render Alicia's left arm useless.

While Alicia was advancing towards her, Savannah had scuttled backwards, trying as hard as possible to prolong the time it took for Alicia to tackle her to the ground again. It proved to be a stupid decision when she tripped and fell on her bum. By the time she had scrambled up, Alicia had taken one of her 4 remaining knives and was about to bring it down. Savannah sat there wild-eyed, bringing her right arm up reflexively to shield her head.

For the third time that day, the shield saved her life. It sprang up, and Alicia's blade connected with the surface. The impact left a hairline crack on the shield, and Savannah knew a few more hits like that and it would be the end of her unbelievably useful red bracelet. As a last resort, Savannah took out the hunting knife she had previously strapped to her belt. Though knife to knife combat wasn't her specialty, Zeus had given her some training and she had been quite handy with it. Of course, her skill won't be able to match up with Alicia's, but with her ribs still partly broken and her left arm rendered useless, Savannah had a pretty good chance of winning.

Alicia proved her worth as a Career, holding Savannah off with only one hand. Metal clanged against metal, punches were thrown, and both of them got multiple cuts and bruises all over their body. Had Alicia still had the use of her left arm, Savannah was sure she would have been skewered by now. Most of her moves were defenses, to keep Alicia's knife from inflicting a fatal injury. That in itself was difficult, as Alicia fought in the wildest way possible, clawing and kicking and biting.

It was by sheer luck that Alicia tripped over the roots of a particularly large tree that was jutting out of the ground. Alicia's legs give way, and she was falling, her expression showing incredulity. This was the moment each of the girls threw their knives, aiming at the other. There were 2 sickening squelch of metal burrowing deep into flesh, and then there was silence.

Savannah had been stabbed in the stomach, and Alicia somewhere in her chest. Savannah barely noticed when her legs crumpled and landed right beside Alicia. Blood pooled beneath her, warm and sticky. The only comfort she got was that Alicia's condition seemed worse. Already she was convulsing, froth bubbling out the sides of her mouth, eyes rolled back inside her head.

Savannah wanted nothing more than to end this fight, but she felt so drowsy, and she couldn't muster enough energy to move. Heck, she couldn't even keep her eyelids open much longer.

There was no sound of a cannon being fired, which probably means Alicia was still in a state of coma, her heart still putting up one last fight. Said girl looked pitiful, face covered in blood and grime, bags under her eyes caused by sleepless nights, emaciated body limp like a puppet without strings. Savannah wondered if it was merciful to end the other girl's life, thus ending her suffering. But had she the right to take another being's life?

Her fingers closed on one of her arrows that had been scattered all over the place. A poison arrow. Savannah made her decision then. Gathering every single ounce of what little energy she had left stored in her reserves, she plunged the arrow into Alicia's arm.

5 seconds later, the cannon sounded.

Savannah could hear the distant whir of a hovercraft. She was barely aware of Hazard and his minions walking towards her. She couldn't help but smile.

"_I did it Drake. I did it."_

Pretty soon she'll be out of the arena, in the hopes that Hazard would return her to her family. She would get to meet her new sibling, feel the warmth of her mother's hug, and sit beside her father just like the old times when he would tell her countless stories of heroes and damsels in distress. Only this time, she'd be recounting her story.

Hazard kneeled next to her, grinning from ear to ear as always. "_He's going to congratulate me first,"_ Savannah figured, though she wished he wouldn't take so long.

What she didn't expect was for Devious to hand Hazard a gun, which he aimed right at her head. Savannah widened her eyes in fear when reality dawned on her.

No one was ever meant to be a victor. No one but Hazard.

He pulled the trigger.

BOOM!

Hazard cackled gleefully, Zeus, Devious, Athena and Daedalus following his example.

"ALL HAIL THE VICTOR OF THE FIRST EVER DEATH CARNIVAL! ME!" he bellowed.

* * *

**Thanks for all the support! You guys are awesome! A thousand thanks to those who reviewed, followed and favourited. Really meant a lot to me. **

**There will be a continuation, and it will probably be told in Katniss' son POV. I hope you'll read it too once I published it.**

**This is an iDTCB production. Follow our twitter account: tributesdiverge**


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